The Proposal
by ambrosesaysnope
Summary: "She couldn't believe she was contemplating this. They had only met two days ago at a club. He was charming and good looking, so when he asked her out she immediately said yes. Now, she was sitting across from him, dumbfounded by his proposal. He wanted to marry her."
1. Prologue

Prologue

Drew had adjourned to the study, following a few paces behind his uncle. He softly closed the door behind him and sat down in the empty chair between his uncle and step-mother. He sat back in his chair, glancing around as uninterested as ever. All he wanted was to do was go home and sleep off his hangover.

The curtains behind his father's desk were opened in effort to let in the sunlight. A fail if you asked Drew since the sky had turned gray and rain started to pour down on everyone after his father was buried next to his mother. He took a look around the room and shook his head, angered by the two people sitting on either side of him.

To his left sat his uncle that he had only seen a handful of times in his life. A rift had come between the two brothers when Drew's mother and father married. The rift only deepened when Drew Sr. decided to move his business enterprises over to the States. The move soured his uncle against his father, making the visits few and far between.

While his father moved the business to Boston and went with it, Drew and his mother stayed Ayr. His father came home for visits while Drew was a child, but he hardly remembered them. It was only when he sixteen that his mother relented and let him visit his father in Boston did Drew really realize that he and his father would never have a close relationship.

To his right sat his step-mother, if he could call her that. A young woman that was thirteen years younger than _Drew_ and f _orty-six_ years younger than his father. It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was up to. At least that was Drew's thought process. He voiced his concerns to his father, but it only caused a fight between the two of them. They didn't speak to each other for six months. In that time, his father and step-mother moved back to Scotland and Drew split his time between Boston and Miami.

Now, here he was, in the home he had grown up in. The very home that his mother had raised him in, while his father was off in Boston, doing business and chasing countless skirts. The same home Drew Sr. brought his child bride to live in, to sleep in the same bed his first wife had slept in. He brought her to his childhood home, only to die in bed with his twenty year old wife on top of him.

Drew wanted out of his present company and fast. The sooner this was all finished, the sooner he could see his uncle off and get the creepy child bride shipped off to Los Angeles or wherever she came from. It didn't matter to him as long as she was out of Scotland, away from Miami, and out of his life for good.

Her uncontrollable sobbing broke Drew out of his thoughts. He glanced at her and shook his head, disgusted by what she had done. She didn't deserve to be here.

"It'll be all right." Drew's uncle reached over him to pat the child bride on the back of her hand.

It took all of Drew's energy to remain sitting and not yell at his _family_ for being the parasites he thought they were. He rubbed his temples before looking over at his father's lawyer sitting behind the desk. His hands were folded and resting over his father's last will and testament.

"First, let me begin by offering my condolences you each of you. I'm sorry for your loss. Mr. McIntyre was a wonderful friend and client taken from us too soon."

Drew had to choke back his laughter. "Thank you."

"This is the final will and testament of Andrew McIntyre V. We've drafted many over the years and this is," he said, tapping the document, "is the final draft. Our final meeting took place last month."

Drew was growing impatient. It was bad enough that it took him ages to start the process, but now he was just prolonging it by adding in unnecessary minor details.

He started opening the documents and Drew could swear if he listened closely, he could hear his uncle and the child bride salivating at the prospects of their inheritance.

"To my wife, my son Drew, and my brother Michael, I like to thank you for taking the time to hear my final words." The lawyer began reading. "In my life, I strived to be the best person I could be and more often than not, I came up short. For that I am sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't a better brother. Drew, my son, I'm sorry I wasn't there more for you or your mother. I wish I could make up for the lost time. However, if you are hearing this right now, I am no longer able to attempt to make up for that time."

Drew looked up, suddenly aware that everyone was staring at him. He nodded his head in the lawyer's direction, silently urging him to continue the reading.

"To my brother, I leave you the last oil painting commissioned of our mother and father."

Michael looked up, his eyes narrowing. "That's it?"

"I'm afraid that is all."

"Well, it seems even from the grave he had the last laugh."

Drew's uncle was up in seconds and out the door in a huff. Drew smiled, for once praising his father for his decisions. One down, one to go.

"To my loving second wife, Marina, I leave you ten thousand dollars."

The clumped up ball of wet tissues fell from her hands and she rose to her feet and stomped a heel clad foot onto the floor. "What? I did everything for that man! I let him touch me where he wanted, when he wanted, and that's all I get? Ridiculous!"

"You're getting more than you should." Drew shrugged. "I say take what you were able to successfully receive and get out."

She glanced at him, narrowing her furious eyes and stomping her foot on the floor again. She let out a frustrated groan and stormed out of the room, cursing Drew and his father as she slammed the door shut behind her.

"She did have a flair for theatrics." Drew commented.

"Well, she is going to be the least of your concerns." The lawyer pulled out some more papers and laid them down neatly on the desk. He adjusted his glasses and then began reading again. "To my son Drew, I leave the entirety of my estate. This includes my home in Boston. Our home in Ayr. The entirety of my rare car collection. My three yachts. My entire fortune as well as the most important thing of all; McIntyre Enterprises."

Drew couldn't describe how happy he was. He got up to his feet and reached over the desk, extending his hand to his father's lawyer. "Thank you for you stopping by. I'll be sure to send-"

"Please, have a seat, Mr. McIntyre." He instructed. "There is more."

Drew didn't like the expression on his face. He sat back down, suddenly nervous. Whatever happiness he had felt seconds ago had dissolved completely.

"Drew, I'm sure you are thrilled about your inheritance. However, you will not get it all so easily. Over the years, your attitude towards myself and our business has been nothing but disrespectful. The image that you carry is not a positive one that reflects on the values of the McIntyre family and McIntyre Enterprises. Effective immediately, the partying and excessive drinking is to stop. I don't appreciate seeing your face in the newspapers announcing your arrest announced due to public intoxication. I don't appreciate hearing about your sexual escapades with women. You are a fully grown man living the life of a twenty year old."

Drew couldn't help but snort at the hypocrisy.

"In order to maintain your inheritance, you are to marry. I understand that relationships are not easy, especially if one is living with you. But I will not have you taking over my company living as an unmarried playboy with an embarrassing reputation trailing behind him. The marriage is to last two years, your thirty-fifth birthday to be exact. If the marriage lasts beyond the two years, then congratulations, you have officially grown up. If the marriage only lasts two years, then I know I made at least one attempt in your life to make sure you are happy."

Drew wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole.

* * *

A/N: Inspiration struck me to write this and I've been obsessed with writing this. I have the first five chapters written. If you guys like it, I'll keep it going! I hope you enjoyed!


	2. A Strange Proposal

A Strange Proposal

Mila swirled her finger around the rim of her wine glass. She couldn't believe she was contemplating his proposal. They had only met two days ago at a club. He was charming and good looking, so when he asked her out she immediately said yes. Now, she was sitting across from him, dumbfounded by his proposal. He wanted to _marry_ her.

"It's only for two years." Drew filled the silence. "After the two years is up, we can get divorced. I'll give you anything you want."

"Two years, huh?"

"I won't get into too many specifics with you, but my father recently passed away and put in his will that the only way I can keep my inheritance is if I'm married for at least two years."

Mila sat back in her chair, considering her options. Acting wasn't working out the way she thought it would. She didn't have any family to speak of. She was struggling to keep her job and was starting to worry how she was going to live since she was starting to run low on her savings. If she didn't think quick she was going to be living on the streets, eating her scripts.

"I'm sorry for your loss." She frowned.

"Thank you." He replied.

He found it best to not go into details about his relationship with dear old dad. The less she knew about him, the better off they would both be.

"Are kids necessary?"

"Would you want to have kids in a sham marriage that is only going to be two years long?"

She laughed. "Good point. Sex?"

"If you don't want it, then no. But I don't know how you'd be able to resist me."

Rolling her eyes, Mila took her napkin off her lap and dropped it on the table. She scooted her seat back and got up. "Good luck, Drew. Thank you for dinner. It was nice meeting you."

She made a beeline to the restaurant lobby, in a hurry to leave and to leave Drew behind. As she was walking, Mila was fishing her phone out of her clutch. The sooner she got an Uber, the sooner she could get home.

Drew caught up to her, moving quickly to stand in front of her. His hands found her shoulders, steadying her. "I'm sorry. That was out of line. Please, please, don't leave like this. I really need you to do this."

Mila would be lying if she said she wasn't attracted to him. In fact, from the second she laid eyes on him at the club she was titillated by him. From his accent to the dangerous glint in his eyes it made Mila want him even more.

"Is this going to be an open relationship?" She asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"I don't share my toys." Drew whispered in her ear.

She shrugged his arms off her shoulders and started around him. No, no, she couldn't go through with his proposal. The thought of getting whatever she wanted at the end of the two years was tempting, but she couldn't give herself to a complete stranger like this. It didn't matter to her what he was on the verge of losing, it wasn't worth sacrificing her dignity.

"You need me more than I need you."

Mila let the door close on him. She got her phone out of her purse and started ordering her Uber as she crossed the parking lot. Before she could send out the order, Drew caught up to her again.

"I shouldn't have worn these damn heels."

Drew ignored her complaint. "We need each other. You can have anything you want while we're married and whatever you want after the divorce."

"I don't know, Drew." Mila could fee her resistance melting away. "This is a really stupid thing for us to do."

Drew wrapped an arm around her waist and started leading her to his car. He opened her door for her and shut it after she got inside. He walked around the car and got into the driver's side. He locked the doors and started the car.

"I don't think you understand how much is at stake here." Drew resumed their conversation. "For the both of us. I maintain my inheritance and I am good for the rest of my life. You help me with this favor and you'll be good too."

"This is such a big step though. Especially for two people that _just_ met."

Drew reversed out of the parking spot and started heading towards her apartment.

"We have time for that." Drew shrugged. "After all we're going to have to make this look real."

Mila held her head in her hands, trying hard not to laugh. This entire situation was completely absurd. Two days ago all she wanted from this guy was good sex. Fast forward to present time and he proposes a sham marriage.

Drew had to strain to hear her next question. Her face was still in her hands and her voice was muffled.

"Why me?"

He came to a stop. He turned his head to look at her and smirk. He brought her hands down from her face and felt his smirk turn into a smile. She was a beautiful girl. He couldn't deny that.

"You were the first person I met and spoke to that I felt I could trust." He admitted, then shrugged. "It doesn't hurt that you _are_ beautiful. Let's be real, we'll look good on each other's arms. We'll be able to pull this off."

She glanced out the window, surprised to see that they were already at her apartment. Surveying the outside of the small complex and suddenly remembering how cramped the apartment was, Mila began weighing the pros and cons of this marriage. The pros were; she'd be married to the babe sitting next to her, she wouldn't have to worry about money, and it was only going to be for two years. How bad was the deal really? The cons? She'd be married to a stranger for two years. Chewing on her lower lip, Mila turned to look and Drew and sighed.

"Would you like to come upstairs?" She asked. "If people are going to believe we're a legitimate couple, we're going to need to come up with a game plan."

"You're going to marry me?"

Drew needed to hear her say the words just to be sure.

"Yes, I'm going to marry you." Mila took off her belt and opened the car door. With one foot out on the sidewalk, she turned back to face her fiance. "Are you coming or no?"

Drew nodded his head and got out the car. He met her on the sidewalk and took her hand in his. If they were going to make this look real, they may as well start now.

* * *

A/N: How are you guys liking this so far?


	3. Making Plans

Making Plans

Mila served the drinks she made for herself and Drew. She handed him his drink and took a big gulp of hers. She was still in a state of shock since she had agreed to marry him.

"Where do we start?" She finally asked him.

She sat down next to Drew and took another sip of her drink.

"Tomorrow we'll go to the jewelry store to pick out your engagement ring."

"Engagement ring?"

Drew laughed. "I know this is an unconventional arrangement, but I still want you to have one."

"Thank you."

Mila still was trying to comprehend what was going on. It was one thing to say yes, but it was an entirely different ball game once you start making the plans.

"I owe you big time for everything you're about to do for me." Drew said, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "It's the least I can do for you. Once we pick out your ring, we'll come back here and pack the things you want to take with you. If there are any larger pieces of furniture you want to take with you, let me know. I'll call the movers in the morning to be here by the time we get back from shopping."

"Pack my things and leave just like that?"

"Yes, I need to get back to work as soon as we're married." Drew said. "We'll send your things to Boston. Before we head to Boston, we're going to make a stop in Miami so I can get some of my things."

"It never even occurred to me that you're not from here." Mila said more to herself than to him. She ran a hand through her hair and blew out a nervous breath. "This has been home to me for the last four years."

"Is that problem?"

She shook her head and let out a nervous laugh. "No, it's fine. That's just a lot of information to digest in such a small time span."

"Once we get to Boston, we'll start planning the wedding. I'll have my assistant take you to some of the finer boutiques there to search for a wedding dress. I'll find a hall and start making up the guest list. Did you have any family you want to attend the wedding?"

"Just a few friends. I'll send them an invite once we have a date set."

"Do you want to invite your parents? Brothers and sisters?" Drew asked. "I can fly them out, no problem."

"No parents or siblings." She sadly replied. "My parents passed away."

He could tell that just mentioning it hurt her. Drew took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry. Were you close to them?"

Mila looked at him, debating if she should tell him what little she knew of her parents. Part of her wanted to tell him just so they knew something about each other. Another part of her just didn't want to talk about it.

"My dad died in a car accident when I was three. My mom committed suicide when I was thirteen." Mila tried to blink back some tears. "I lived with my grandparents from then until I was twenty-two. I stayed in Chicago for two more years before I moved out here to pursue my career as an actress."

"I'm sorry." Drew wasn't sure what else to say. "My mom died six years ago and my father, as you know, passed away a few weeks ago."

"I'm sorry. How are you holding up?"

"Honestly, I'm fine. I wasn't very close with my father. When I was five he moved his business. He moved to Boston while my mother and I stayed in Scotland. He would call and come for visits when business allowed it. Work always came first. We butted heads a lot, so we were never close. I was closer with my mother. Her death hit me hard."

"I'm sorry about that."

They fell silent for a few moments.

"Just to give us some time to prepare, I was thinking we should have the wedding on June the third."

"That sounds good." Mila agreed. "It gives us a little more time to plan, more time to get to know each other. We'll also be able to make our relationship more believable to everyone."

"I'm not too worried about my business associates. We'll see them every once and a while, so they won't know much about our relationship. "It's my friends I'm worried about. They didn't exactly like my last girlfriend. I think they coined her a gold digger.

"That one sounds like a keeper." Mila smirked. "Though, who am I to talk?"

"Our situation is a little different. I asked you to marry me and I told you why. We're both going into this with our eyes open and we're aware of what we're getting into."

"Yeah." Mila said without any confidence.

"I promise, it will all be fine." Drew reassured her. "I've known you a couple of days and I can already see you're a sweet woman with a good head on her shoulders."

"Can't be that good if I agreed to this."

"That's why I think you're sweet." Drew got up. "I better head out. I'll be by around ten tomorrow morning so we can go ring shopping."

Mila nodded as she got up and followed him out the living room. She unlocked the front door and pulled it open, giving Drew room to step out. With her fingers curled around the doorknob on the inside, Mila leaned against the door.

"Night, Drew."

"Night, Buttercup."

Mila scrunched her nose up at the nauseating nickname and shook her head. She tried to stifle back a laugh.

"No? Thought I'd try it out." He said, laughing. "I'll work on it."

"Please do."

"I'll come up with one that doesn't sound forced. Good night."

Mila peered out into the hallway, watching Drew until he disappeared around the corner. She closed the door and pressed her back up against it and let out a breath she hadn't realize she was holding. Closing her eyes, she assured herself that she wasn't doing the wrong thing.

 _Everything is going to be fine._

Walking to her bedroom, she kept repeating the words to herself.

* * *

Mila did a once over in the mirror, turning in circles while trying to look at herself. After changing eleven times, Mila finally felt comfortable and pretty in her olive tank dress. It stopped just below her knees and hugged her curves in the right places. Never having gone engagement ring shopping, Mia could only hope she was dressed properly.

She glanced over at the pile of clothes on her bed and turned back to her mirror. Running her hands down her sides, she tilted her head and sighed, maybe it wasn't the right choice.

"Maybe I should change." Mila muttered to herself. "This probably isn't the best thing to wear to the store he is probably planning on taking me to."

Going back to her closet, Mila started sifting through her clothes. She found herself pushing more clothes forward and out of her line of sight to look at the next thing. Everything was a no.

"What does one wear to this sort of thing?"

She chewed on her thumbnail contemplating her question. She looked down at herself at sighed.

"Why, oh, why do I not have anything nice to wear?" Mila groaned. "I should just call Drew and tell him to pick out something on his own!"

Mila plopped down on her bed and laid down, staring up at the ceiling. She felt around the bed for her phone, ready to call Drew. Just as she grabbed her phone and had his phone number pulled up, there was a knock on her door.

"Oh for fucks sake. I agree to marry the _one_ guy that is prompt."

With a groan, she got up and went to answer the door. Her _beloved_ was here to whisk her away to Cartier.

"Hey, Drew." Mila greeted when she had the door open.

"Hey, Sweet Pea." He greeted as she walked in. Drew turned around in time to see her shake her head at the nickname. "No? I'll keep working on it. Are you ready?"

Mila looked at Drew, noting he had on a pair of jeans and button up dress shirt. He was just dressed fairly casual. After seeing how he was dressed, she decided she looked fine.

"Almost. I just need to get my shoes on and grab my purse." Mila said. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll be out soon."

Drew nodded and had a seat in the living room while Mila rushed down the short hallway to get to her bedroom. She put her wedges on, grabbed her phone and purse and was back in the living room in a flash.

"I'm ready." Mila announced.

He looked up from his phone and over at her. Her hair was in waves and cascading over her shoulders and down her back. Her makeup was done naturally and her lips were a glossy pinky color. His eyes went lower, noting how her dress hugged her body, announcing every curve.

"You look beautiful." He said as his eyes traveled back to her face.

"Thank you."

"You're blushing."

"Shut up and let's go."

Mila turned away from him and started for the door. Drew followed her out into the hallway, waiting behind her while she locked up.

"Nervous?" Drew asked, taking her hand in his.

"Is it that obvious?" Mila asked. "I never thought something like this would happen. I always thought if I ever got married, it would be the _one_ time."

Drew gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Maybe it will be."

Mila looked up at him, giggling. "I don't think that's how a marriage of convenience works."

"We have to have a sense of humor, otherwise people won't believe it."

"One thing at a time, Drew."

He let go of her hand to open the car door for her. When she was in, he closed the door behind her and then walked around to his side of the car.

"We're about to get swept up into the tide between your move and the wedding planning." Drew said when he got in the car. He put his belt on and put the key in the ignition. "These next few days are going to be tough, never mind the weeks leading up to the wedding."

Mila's right hand gripped the handle on the side of the car door. She really needed to keep calm and remember what was at stake here. No matter how idiotic her decision was, she needed him just as much as he needed her.

"You're right." Mila said, looking over at him. "I'm still trying to adjust to all of this. A lot has changed for me in the last twenty-four hours."

"I won't hurt you."

She could feel the butterflies swirling around her stomach. She couldn't believe that this random stranger that she was only looking to hook up with was going to be her husband for the next two years. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she be given this proposition.

"Are you nervous?"

Drew glanced at her and then focused on the road again. "Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"No." Drew shrugged. "There are no bad intentions here. I know what you're getting from me and you know it too. I'm not walking into this thinking that you're using me for my money. We're just helping each other out. It's just business between us."

"But we're strangers. We don't know each other." Mila pointed out. "For example, I don't know what you do. What do you do? Why does your father have all this money? Why did he leave this codicil in his will? For all I know you could be some drug lord."

Drew laughed. "I'm not a drug lord."

"Phew." Mila wiped away imaginary sweat from her forehead. "I guess I'm safe then."

"You're going to give me a hard time, aren't you?"

"Depends on what the topic is." She admitted. "What do you do?

"I work in real estate. My father owned- well, I'm going to own, one of the biggest development companies on the east coast."

"Did you come out to Los Angeles on business or to find a wife?"

"Business. I'm looking to develop a new building back in Boston and I came to meet with an architect my father often worked with. What about you? What's your story?"

"Well, you already know that I'm from Chicago and moved out here when I was twenty-four to be an actress. When that didn't pan out I got a job as a makeup consultant at a department store. I also did free lance makeup on the side to, you know live."

"I still can't get over that." Drew parked in front of the jewelry store. "We're here. We'll talk more over lunch."

He got out and walked around the car to open her door. He extended his hand to her and helped her out. When she was out and the door was closed, Drew wrapped an around her waist and led her towards the store.

"Get whichever ring you want. Don't worry about the cost." Drew whispered as they got closer to the door. "I want you to have the best."

Letting go of her, he opened the door, allowing her to walk in first. He followed suit, coming to a stop next to her. He wrapped his arm around her waist, hugging her close to him.

"Anything you want." He said as a woman approached them.

"Hello, Drew." She greeted as she shook his hand. "It's lovely to see you. I didn't know you were in the area."

"Hello, Dana." Drew returned the greeting. "It was a rather last minute visit."

"It's lovely seeing you, nevertheless. What can I help you with today?"

"I'm actually here to search for an engagement ring for my fiance."

Dana looked over at Mila, as if just realizing she was standing there. She flashed her a quick smile before extending her hand towards Mila, giving it a half assed shake.

"Hello, I'm Dana. It's so nice meeting you."

"I'm Mila. It's nice-"

The blonde turned her attention back to Drew, quickly forgetting Mila. She looped her arm through Drew's and started leading him to the cases of engagement rings. Mila rolled her eyes and followed them across the store.

"I didn't know you were seeing anyone, Drew."

Drew disentangled himself from Dana and held out his hand for Mila to take. When he had her at his side, he looked down at her and smiled, keeping his eyes on her.

"This one is special." He squeezed her hand. "I wanted to keep this relationship private and make it work."

Dana's smile fell as she walked around the counter and opened the case. She started taking out the trays to make it easier for them to see the rings.

"Do you see anything you like, babe?"

It was hard for Mila to keep her eyes in her head. So many different rings, so many different bright diamonds. Each and every one of them glittered before her, temporarily blinding her.

"They're all beautiful."

Her eyes scanned the tray until it fell on one that she found breathtakingly beautiful. The setting was pear shaped with a canary yellow diamond in the center. Smaller white diamonds encrusted around the frame of the canary yellow diamond. The band was white gold with more diamonds encrusted all around the band.

"Is it all right if I try this one on?" Mila pointed to the ring.

"Please." Dana picked up the ring and started handing it to Mila. "This is from our newest collection. The canary yellow diamond has become popular this year. This diamond in particular was mined in Brazil. This particular ring is eleven and a half karats."

Drew took the ring from Dana before Mila could and slid it on her left ring finger. The ring fit as if it were made for her. She stretched her hand out to gaze at it.

"It's beautiful." Mila said as she slightly moved her hand from side to side. "A little heavy, but I think I can get used to it. What do you think, babe?"

Drew smirked when she looked up at him. The ring was beautiful and given what she was doing for him, she did deserve it. The ring did suit her. The beauty of her smile did make it look all the more beautiful.

"It looks beautiful because it's on you." He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Is this the one?"

The kiss had caught her off guard. They hadn't spoken about any public displays of affection. Knowing Dana was glaring at her, Mila regained her composure and nodded.

"This is the one."

"Perfect." Dana spoke up. "I'll take the ring to get it polished for you. It will just be a few moments."

Mila handed the ring back to Dana and watched her walk off to the back of the store. When she was out of earshot, she turned back to Drew, displaying her shock at the kiss.

"What was that?" She whispered.

Drew smiled at another worker and gently grabbed Mila by the elbow and led her over to another jewelry case.

"We're a couple in love." He whispered. "We need to look like it."

"A little warning would be nice next time."

Drew was about to respond when Dana returned with Mila's ring.

"All set."

Drew took the ring from Dana again and slid it onto Mila's finger, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"Marry me?" He whispered.

"Yes."

"Was there anything else I could help you with today?" Dana asked, cutting into their moment.

"No, that's going to be it for today."

"Follow me and we can finish the transaction."

Mila followed Drew and Dana across the store. She hoped she could stomach another few minutes of Dana's odd venture at flirting.

* * *

A/N: I know it's a slow burn, but it will get better. I promise. Thank you for reading & reviewing!


	4. Promise

Promise

"When do you plan on telling your friends about us?"

Mila stopped folding her jeans and looked over at Drew, suddenly remembering he was there. Her mind wandered when she started packing. She thought the engagement ring on her finger was nerve wrecking, but actually packing and moving to a city where she knew nobody was enough to send her anxiety through the roof.

"Soon."

"Soon?" Drew asked as he dropped some books in a box. "We're leaving for Miami on Saturday."

"I know." She picked up a stack of folded clothes and placed them in her suitcase. "I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to tell them I'm marrying a man I don't know and moving across the country. They're going to be concerned and have tons of questions."

"I can be here to tell them with you if you want." He offered. "If you just leave and then send them a wedding invitation out of nowhere, they're going to be confused."

"I'm going to tell them. I wasn't going to leave without saying goodbye."

Mila zipped up her suitcase and pushed it off the bed and onto the floor. She picked up the empty one by her feet and tossed it on the bed. Her apartment was slowly, but surely emptying out. She had thrown out old pieces of furniture she didn't need and knew nobody could get use out of. Other pieces she had sold online and the buyers had come by to pick them up. Drew had movers come and take a few boxes to be shipped off to Boston. All that was left were some of clothes that she still needed and some of her makeup and shoes. Her bedroom set had been sold already and the buyer was going to be by tomorrow afternoon to pick it up.

"It sure looks like it."

"No, I'm going to call them tonight and ask them to meet me for lunch." Mila said. "I know one day isn't a lot of time for them to adjust, but I've just been scared of telling them. After my grandparents passed away, they're the closest thing I have to family. Besides," Mila shrugged, "I didn't have time to tell them. I met you last Saturday. We went out to dinner Monday night, got engaged, went ring shopping Tuesday, and started selling off and shipping my things. I had no time to tell them."

Drew taped the box shut and labeled it. He pushed it along the wall next to the others. His movers were going to be by in a couple of hours to pick up her things and have it sent out.

"You're not procrastinating, Miss Hollywood?"

Ever since she had told him she moved out to California to be an actress, he had been teasing her every now and again.

"I think you still need to work on the nickname."

Mila walked past him and over to her closet. She started pulling her clothes off the hangers, gathering as much as she could in her arms.

"I'm just teasing, no harm meant." Drew said as he sat on her bed. He watched her drop the pile of clothes on the bed next to her suitcase. "Was there anything else I could help with?"

"Actually, yeah, speaking of my failed acting career." Mila smirked. "I have some old scripts from local plays I did. They're in the bottom drawer of my dresser. Can you just put them in the box we left in the hallway? I think they can fit in there."

Drew got up and opened the bottom dresser drawer she had nodded to. He grabbed the scripts and left her alone to pack them for her. He dropped them in there and taped the box shut. He labeled it and then pushed it against the wall. He would grab that one later.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings." Drew apologized when he joined her again. "I really was just joking. It takes a lot to leave everything you know and go to a strange place to chase your dreams."

"Drew-"

"My father built his entire business doing that, it takes guts."

"Guts, but no brains." Mila sighed. "I fell flat on my face and gave up so fast. It's how I wound up shilling makeup in a department store."

Drew pushed the shirt out of her hands and turned her around to face him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and held her to him. His free hand smoothed her hair back.

"You're stronger than you know. It takes a strong person to do what you've been doing. You discovered another talent and perfected it and you've done wonders with it!"

While he had been packing earlier, he came across an album of pictures she had taken of different clients she's had over the years. Drew didn't know anything at all about makeup, but just one look at the effort and detail she put in, he knew she was great.

"Please, don't take everything so serious." Drew whispered. "I like to tease. Even if we aren't marrying for love, I still promise to protect you."

Mila rested her hands flat against his chest and raised her eyes up to his. "I'm still sensitive about it, is all. I moved here for one thing and ended up doing something totally different. Now, I'm getting married to a man I don't know and moving to a place I've never been to and I'm just nervous about what is going to happen."

"You have nothing to be worried about." Drew cupped the side of her face, his thumb gently running along her lower lip. "I promise to give you anything you want. I promise to protect you."

"How are you not the least bit nervous? If not nervous about getting married, aren't you the least bit nervous if someone finds out what we're doing? You could lose everything your father left you, Drew. I'd feel awful if you lost it all because I got caught."

"I'm not nervous because I have a beautiful, sweet girl, that is willing to help me out." Drew reassured her. "I know somewhere underneath all this anxiety, there's the fun loving, free spirited girl I met nearly a week ago."

Mila snorted at the thought. "Yeah, free spirited."

"Had your friends not gotten you out of the club, you would have left with me." Drew reminded her. "Not back to my hotel, but to the beach to see the sunrise."

Now Mila laughed. "I had more than that on my mind and you know that, Drew..." She paused. "For fucks sake, Drew, how can I marry you? I don't even know your last name!"

"Andrew McLean McIntyre the Fourth." He laughed. "Mila, we have time to learn about each other. I need you to stop freaking out about every little thing. Be that girl I met last Saturday. I know she's here somewhere."

"Andrew McLean McIntyre the Fourth." She repeated. "A native of Scotland who is on the verge of inheriting the family business. That is all I know."

"I know you're Mila. An an aspiring actress turned makeup artist from Chicago. You've got a heart of gold. That's what I know and for now it's enough."

"Madden."

He scrunched his brows together in confusion.

"Camilla Maisie Madden the First." Mila teased.

"All right, wise ass." Drew laughed. "We could both use a break from packing. Let's go get lunch somewhere and when we come back, you're going to call your friends and set up a lunch date to tell them."

Mila wrapped her arms around his neck. "Mmm, do you take charge like this in other places?"

"Is that something you want to find out?"

"Maybe." Mila shrugged. "For now let's go eat. You don't promise a girl food and then not come through."

* * *

"You're going to tell them through a text?"

"No, I sent them a group text and mentioned I had big news I'd like to tell them over lunch tomorrow." Mila set her phone down and then sat back in her seat. "I'm bracing myself for their reactions. They've been my rock for the last four years. I know this is going to come as a shock to them."

"I can be there with you when you tell them."

"No, no. They're going to grill you right in front of me." Mila shook her head. "You don't know enough about me to pass their inspection. I'll tell them about the wedding and that will be the end of that."

"I think I can handle your friends."

"No, you can't." Mila smirked. "Believe me, they're handfuls and I love them all. You'll get to meet them at the wedding or possibly tomorrow if they don't invite themselves over and make me call you."

"I'll be prepared for that call."

Drew paid the bill for their lunch and soon they were on their way back to her apartment.

"I'll be by tomorrow morning to help you with any last minute packing." Drew said when he pulled up in front of her house. "Was there anything you needed me to pick up on my way over here?"

Mila looked at her apartment building and the back at Drew. "Did you have any plans for tonight?"

Drew shook his head.

"Would you like to come upstairs? We can watch a movie and hang out."

"I think we packed all of your movies and DVD player away." Drew mused. "Did you pack your bathing suit?"

"I don't think I did."

"Perfect." Drew said, shutting off the car. "Come on, you'll pack your bathing suit and some clothes and we'll go back to my hotel. We can go to the pool and then hangout and have room service. I'll bring you back later tonight so you can prep for your lunch with your friends."

"Even better plan." Mila said as she took her seatbelt off. "I could use a little break."

* * *

Drew had to admit that he was happy he invited her back to his hotel. All they had been doing the whole week was packing and shipping with lunch dates thrown in. When he left her at the end of every night, he did feel a little hollow inside. He sure didn't look forward to the silence waiting back here. There was always the easy solution of finding a woman for a one night stand in the bar downstairs, but he was well known all around. Even if Mila didn't realize it now, he couldn't have her find out this way. Especially, after assuring her that she had nothing to worry about. Even if this was a sham marriage, he didn't want to hurt her.

"Okay, I'm ready." She announced as she stepped out of the bathroom.

His heart started thumping hard when he saw her. This was the first time he had seen her in very little clothing. The black two piece bikini fit her beautifully. Every curve was out in plain view for him to see.

"Is something wrong?"

Mila felt self-conscious under his gaze. Chewing on her lower lip, she turned away from him to search for something to throw over herself.

"No, no, there's nothing wrong." Drew got up and walked over to her. He turned her around to face him. "I was just debating if I should take you out of this room. I don't think I'd like it if anyone else was staring at you."

Mila rolled her eyes. "Even in private we're going to make this real?"

"We might have to." He admitted, unable to take his eyes off her. "I don't think I'd be able to keep my hands off you."

She pushed his hands down to his sides and took a step back. With a smile on her face and shake of her head, Mila willed him off. The only way they were going to do _anything_ was if they _both_ wanted to.

"Tease."

She found a t-shirt to put on over her swimsuit. "I hardly know you, Drew. I'm not going to jump into bed with you right away."

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. "This coming from the woman that wanted to go to the beach with me the night we met to have sex there."

"I was incredibly hard up and drunk that night. Usually, those two things together are a bad mix."

"You're not hard up anymore?" He asked.

"No, agreeing to marry a total stranger has a sobering affect on you." Mila took hold of his hands and pushed them away from her. "We better get going if you don't want to stay in here all day."

They made it downstairs to the pool with their hands at their sides and their eyes in their heads. Mila would be lying if she said she wasn't attracted to Drew. Given their situation and what they were doing, she felt she had to be _extra_ careful. The last thing she would want to happen is to fall in love with him and then at the end of the two years just leave with his feelings being this was a business transaction.

"At some point we are going to have to touch each other." Drew whispered as she dropped her things on the pool chair. "It's what any normal couple in a relationship do. You know, hand holding, kissing, all that girly stuff women want."

"If it's so girly, then why are you the _one_ asking for it."

She pulled her t-shirt over her head and folded it.

"I'm just reminding you is all." Drew shrugged. "If we're going to make this look real, then we need to start now. Especially, before we head off to Boston and I introduce you to society."

"Do I get a coming out party and big poofy pink gown?" She sarcastically asked.

Mila pulled the suntan lotion out of her bag and squirted some into her hands. She started applying it to her arms, massaging it into her skin.

"No, poofy pink gowns. I'm not marrying the Good Witch of the North."

She sat down on the pool chair and stretched her legs out in front of her. She went on applying the lotion as if he hadn't said anything.

"Ignore me all you want, but you know I'm right."

"About the witch thing?"

Drew got up, leaning down to take the suntan lotion out of her hands. He grabbed it from her and sat down behind her. He squirted some into his hands and started rubbing the lotion onto her back.

"No, about the displays of affection." Drew replied. "I _do_ like you and I do have an attraction to you. I'd be lying if I didn't."

Her teeth sank down into her lower lip while his hands drifted lower down her back. Every fiber of her being wanted to take him back up to his room and let him have his way with her, but she had to fight that urge. She couldn't just crawl into bed with him. Drew was already getting more than enough from her.

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

"To get you to loosen up." Drew got up and pulled his shirt off. "To get you to stop being afraid."

Her breath got caught in her throat when she turned to look at Drew. Up until now she had never seen him without his shirt on, she could only wonder what he looked liked under his clothes, and so far her imagination hadn't done him much justice.

"I-I-I'm not afraid." Mila said, trying to regain her composure. "I don't have to loosen up."

Drew handed her the lotion and turned her back on her. "Prove me wrong."

With shaky hands, she took the lotion from him. "You're going to need to sit down, Jolly Green Giant, I'm not going to be able to reach your shoulders."

With a laugh Drew sat down. "Better?"

"Extremely. Now shut up. I want to get in the water at some point."

Taking a deep breath, Mila squirted some lotion into her hands and started rubbing it on his back. She slowly moved her hands down his back, enjoying the feel of his skin under her fingertips. She smiled when she felt him shiver underneath her touch. The effect she seemed to have on him filled her with glee. When she was done, she pressed herself against his back and brought her lips to his ear.

"Am I loosening up enough for you?"

Getting up, Mila gave him no time to respond to her. She walked to the pool, turning her head only once to see if he was following her. A smirk tugged on her lips when she saw him looking over at her as if for the first time. She winked at him and then dove into the water.

Drew got his wits about him and followed Mila into the pool. He swam towards her, turning his head away when she started splashing him. Taking a deep breath, he disappeared under the water and swam around to get behind her. He was quick to grab her under water when she tried to make a break for it. Coming back up for air, Drew was quick to turn her around to face him. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him and being sure to have a good hold on her.

"Not quick enough."

"Drew, let me go." Mila said.

"No." Drew shook his head. "I like you here, close to me."

Her arms wrapped around his neck as they floated around the pool. Her legs scissored around his waist and she brought her lips to his ear.

"Close enough?"

"Mhmm." He muttered. He pushed them closer to the wall of the pool, pushing her back against it. "This I could get used to. I meant what I said before. I really do like you."

"You don't know much about me. You're going based off looks."

"As are you." Drew countered. "Look, I don't know what's going to happen in the next two years, but I want us to be on some stable ground. We need to be able to make this work. We need to do as much as possible to make this real."

Mila sucked in her lower lip as she mulled over her next thought. It was never going to be about anything else, only his inheritance. If this didn't go back to her anxiety over this, then it was him reminding her it was only a business deal. She knew this going in, but there was something about him that she did like. When he came off cocky, he also came off charming. She shook her head, reminding herself to be careful. Usually men like him were dangerous, she would need to guard herself around him. Even if he was attractive and charming, this would only spell disaster for her in the end.

"I need to be careful."

"Why's that?" Drew asked. "We're both going to have it good."

"Because in the end, _I'm_ going to get hurt."

Drew leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. When she kissed back, Drew deepened it, slipping his tongue in between her parted lips. Their breath grew heavier as they both put more passion into the kiss. Her legs tightened around his waist. She couldn't help herself. With one embrace he was able to set her veins on fire and send her heart racing. For just a moment she felt safe.

He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. "That won't happen."

* * *

A/N: Do you think they're going to make it? Thank you for reading and reviewing, guys! I really appreciate it!


	5. Announcements

Announcements

Drew closed the door behind them while Mila went straight for the bathroom. After their kiss downstairs, she had been acting strangely. One moment, she was touchy-feely with him and the next she was distant. He wasn't quite sure how to read what happened. Yes, he got swept up in the moment, but all he wanted to do was make her feel better.

When he heard the bathroom door open, he looked up to see Mila standing timidly by the bathroom doorway. Her legs were bare, her upper body still covered in her shirt she had worn up from the pool. She was nervously fidgeting with her hands.

"If you want, get changed and I'll take you home."

"What if I don't want to go home and I want to stay here with you?"

"What?"

"Is it okay if I stay here with you?"

Was he hearing her right? She wanted to stay the night with him. This was the same woman that had been running hot and cold since she agreed to his proposal.

"Yeah." He finally said. "If you really want to."

She crossed the room so that she was standing in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers playing with the ends of his wet hair.

"I do." Mila looked down at him. "I want to wake up with you tomorrow morning and know that I'm going to be safe with you."

His fingers fiddled with the hem of the shirt she was wearing. He started pushing it upwards as he rose to his feet. He had the shirt up and over her head and on the floor. Cupping the sides of her face, he lowered his head down to hers and captured her lips in another kiss.

When she stood on her tiptoes to deepen the kiss, Mila felt herself being lifted in Drew's arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist, while her arms wrapped around his neck. She couldn't help but get swept up in his embrace. This was something she had been looking for and now she had it.

Drew turned back towards the bed and lowered her onto it. Her legs unwrapped from his waist and he broke the kiss for a moment to take his shirt off. He tossed it over his shoulders and brought his lips back to hers, hungrily kissing her. One hand rested on her hip, while he dragged the other one up and down her side. He could feel her shiver under his touch.

Her fingernails raked up and down his bare chest before resting on the waistband of his swim shorts. As the kiss deepened, she toyed with the swim shorts, playing with the idea of taking them off.

He broke the kiss and looked down at her and then down where her hands were and then back up to her. Her lips were slightly parted, inhaling and exhaling air as she tried to catch her breath. Her eyes were locked on his, clouded over with lust he had never seen mirrored in anyone's eyes.

She moved her hands up to his chest and gently pushed at him. Drew sat back to give her room. He watched as she shifted so that she was sitting in front of him on her knees. With her teeth sinking into her lower lip, she ran a hand through her hair. She looked at Drew and felt the butterflies in her stomach swirling around again.

Licking her lips, she crawled over to Drew and straddled him. She wrapped one arm around his neck while she laid the palm of her hand against his chest.

"I can't stop myself," Mila whispered.

Her mouth covered his, reigniting the kiss. No matter how much she told herself to stop, she couldn't. The kiss was broken when Drew moved his lips against her jaw and down to the side of her neck. He kissed the skin, then started nibbling. With a small moan, Mila tilted her head back, exposing more skin to him. She rubbed her hips against his, unable to keep herself from responding to him.

Drew held her to him with one arm as his lips traveled down her throat. He brought his hands up to the back of her neck, pulling at the string to untie her bikini top. The string came undone and fell away from her.

The sound of his cell phone ringing startled them, pulling them apart. They looked at each before looking across the room.

"It's my phone," Drew muttered. "I'll get it later."

He tried to kiss her again, but Mila turned her face away from his. "You better get it. It might be important."

"Mila..."

She put a finger against his lips. "Answer it."

He could see her silently pleading with her eyes, begging him to help put a stop to it. She didn't want to rush things. He nodded as she crawled off him. He got up and got to his phone just before it stopped ringing.

"This is Drew."

He couldn't take his eyes off her. As he listened to the person on the other line, he watched as Mila tied her bikini top and lay down on the bed. He couldn't help but wonder if she regretted what happened.

"Yeah, I'm here." He said. "Sorry, I zoned out for a minute."

Mila propped herself up on her elbows and looked at Drew. From where she was sitting she could see the disappointment on his face.

"I'm going to Miami when I'm done here," Drew said as he sat down in the chair. "I'll be home Tuesday. We'll talk business then. I'm busy right now."

Mila sat up, suddenly intrigued by his conversation. Was he going to tell this person he was coming home with his fiance?

"I'll explain everything when I see you." His eyes landed on Mila again. "I'll see you next week."

The call ended and he set his phone down on the table. "Saved by the bell, huh?"

She threw her feet over the edge of the bed and got up and walked across the room. She stopped in front of Drew, placing her hands on either armrest and leaning down so that their eyes met.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you," Mila whispered. "But we can't hurry this."

"Our bodies seem to be telling us otherwise," Drew smirked. "But, you're right. If you want I can take you home."

Mila shook her head. "I still want to stay."

* * *

Mila couldn't keep the smile off her face. She had the best night for the first time in a long time. Staying the night with Drew was probably the best decision she has made in a while. She felt safe when she had woken up with Drew's arms around her. It was the first morning she had woken up and not wondered what the day had in store for her. Even knowing that she had to meet her friends today and break the news to them, she hadn't felt the least bit anxious.

"What's got you smiling like a dummy?"

She looked up to see that Becky had arrived. She got up and hugged her friend. They sat back down and ordered their drinks.

"Where is everyone else?"

Becky shrugged. "Natalya should be here soon. She's never late for anything."

"That's a given." Mila giggled. "My guess is Paige is dragging herself out of bed and will be here as soon as she brushes her teeth and gets dressed."

"That sounds about right." Becky chuckled. "Naomi and Jimmy were looking for parking when I was walking in."

"Baron should be here soon too," Mila said. "I think that's everyone."

Becky shrugged. "Might be. I can't remember who was in the group text anymore. Everyone got riled up and excited when you said you had big news to share. Which speaking of..."

She shook her head. "When everyone gets here."

"Mila!" Jimmy called when he reached her. He pulled her out of her seat to give her a hug. "If I didn't love you, I would have told you to stick your news where the sun don't shine!"

Laughing, Mila broke the hug and went to hug Naomi. Soon they were all settled and their drinks were ordered. Little by little, everyone showed up and the table seemed to grow rowdier by the minute. Thank god they were sitting towards the back of the restaurant away from the other patrons.

When they were done eating and the table was cleared all eyes fell on Mila, urging her to break her news.

"I think we've waited long enough," Nattie said, looking at everyone sitting at the table. "What did you call us here for at the last minute?"

"We're dying to know." Becky exaggerated.

She looked at her friends, knowing this was the last time they were going to be together like this for a while. Without thinking, she wiped her tears away with her left hand. The canary yellow diamond glittering in the light caught Naomi's attention.

"Um, what's this?" She asked glancing at the ring then at Mila and then at everyone else at the table. "Is this what I think it is?"

Jimmy reached over Naomi and took Mila's hand, inspecting the jewelry on her finger. He looked at Mila, concern etched on his face. "Jey is going to flip when he hears about this."

Mila tugged her hand away from Jimmy and lowered it onto her lap, suddenly nervous about their reactions. She wished she could be anywhere but there.

"Mila, what's the news?"

She looked at Nattie, before forcing herself to smile at her friends. "Please, guys, all I ask is that you be happy for me and not question my sanity. I never thought I'd have something like this again, not after Kenny. I know it's really fast, but I haven't felt like this in a while." Her voice trailed off for a moment. She took a deep breath and looked around the table again and finally bit the bullet. "I'm engaged!"

Paige scrunched her brows together in concern. "To who? I didn't know you were seeing anyone."

"I met him last week."

"Last week?" Nattie asked, concerned. "It's not the guy you met at the club, is it?"

Mila nodded her confirmation. "We've been spending a lot of time together this week and I've never clicked with someone like that so quickly, him either."

"Mila, I love you like my little sister and I'll support anything you do, but is this a good idea? I mean you just met him." Baron said, his concern growing by the minute. "I know you thought you'd never get over Kenny, but this is too quick. This guy is just the rebound. You can't take this big of a step with him."

"Look, I know this is insane. I'm both happy, excited, and nervous. I just need to know that I have your support and that you'll be at my wedding."

"You're really going to do this?" Naomi asked.

"I love him, guys." She whispered. "Please tell me you'll be there."

"Where's the wedding?" Nattie asked.

"Boston," Mila said, hoping they wouldn't blow the roof off the restaurant. "The wedding is going to be in Boston where he lives. I'm going to be moving there. We leave tomorrow. We're going to stop in Miami so he can get some things from his house and then we're heading up to Boston. The wedding is June third."

Everybody went completely silent.

"Please, tell me you'll be there."

"I don't know if I can be there." Nattie scooted her chair back. "I'm saying this from a place of love, you shouldn't rush into something like this with someone you just met. I don't know if I can support this wedding."

Nattie got up and left the table, leaving her stunned group of friends behind her. Mila watched her until she was gone and then turned back to everyone else.

"Will you be there?"

"June third?" Naomi asked, shaking her head from side to side. She was having a hard time making sense of this. "Married to a stranger? Is this what you want? Are you sure he makes you that happy after such a short time together?"

"Yes, he does. I didn't think it was possible, but I love Drew."

"Drew." Baron spat. "The fucker has a name, huh? I want to meet him today. I'll be damned if I'm going to let you go without meeting him."

Jimmy nodded in agreement. "I want to meet him too."

"You really want this, huh?" Becky asked.

"I do."

The ladies all looked at each other, while Baron and Jimmy fumed in their seats. They all looked at Mila and then back at each other. She did seem genuinely happy. Maybe, she knew better than the rest of them.

"We'll be there," Paige announced. "As long as you're happy and you're sure you want to do this."

"I am." Mila smiled and then looked at Jimmy and Baron. "Boys?"

"We want to meet him." Baron shrugged. "I need to check this guy out before you leave."

"But you guys will be there?"

They looked at each other. "We'll be there," Jimmy answered. "I want to meet him first."

"I expected as much." Mila laughed. "He actually did too. Are you coming too, ladies?"

"We have a lot of information to digest," Paige replied. "I'll meet him before the wedding. You know we're going to be there days before to help you out!"

"Baron, I'll ride with you to Mila's house," Jimmy said. "Can you give me a ride home afterward?"

Baron nodded as he finished his whiskey.

"He has a business meeting." Mila laughed. "He won't be able to make it over to my place until later."

"We'll hang out with you, it's not like you're taking us to the torture chamber."

Mila nervously laughed. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Mila had been freaking out about Drew meeting Baron and Jimmy since she had texted him about it. He quickly agreed, reminding her that he would be there if she needed him. A quick glance at the time told her Drew would be there soon.

"Are you all right,?" Baron asked.

"Yeah, just a little nervous." She admitted. "This is the equivalent to him meeting my brothers."

"Because we _are_ your brothers, Mila." Jimmy pointed out. "We need to check this guy out before we let you start this next part of your life."

"I can't believe you're really doing this." Baron changed the subject. "When you said the apartment was nearly empty, I didn't believe you."

"I know. I can't believe it either. This has been my home for so long." Mila sighed. "The parties I've hosted here."

"All the times I've thrown up in your bathroom." Baron laughed. "I'd ask if you remember, but all of our drinking binges tend to run together. I wouldn't be able to tell one from the other."

"Me either," Mila admitted. "Thank god, I stopped drinking _that_ much. I don't think my body can handle it."

Jimmy laughed, then turned serious. "So many memories here. It's the end of an era. I met Naomi here."

"All of you watched me cry like a blithering idiot over Kenny in this apartment."

"Now, we're here to see you off before you get married," Baron said, unable to hide his sadness. "I'm going to miss having you here."

"I'm going to miss seeing you guys every day." She admitted. "But we'll talk every day. I'll come and visit you guys and I'm sure you'll come to visit us."

"Absolutely," Jimmy said. "I have a cousin that lives in Boston. I visit frequently actually, so I'll be sure to see you while I'm out there."

"I'd love that."

A knock on the door brought their conversation to an end. She looked at her friends and flashed them a weak smile. She took a deep breath and then left to answer the door.

"Hi, baby!" She greeted when she opened the door.

Drew leaned down to kiss her hello. "Hi, love."

She let him in and closed the door behind him. She took his hand in hers and led him to her living room, currently known as the lion's den.

"So, you're the guy taking Mila away?" Baron asked as soon as they stepped into the living room. "How did that come to happen so fast?"

"It just happened. We got to know each other rather quickly and it just happened." He wrapped an arm around her waist. "I love her. My name is Drew by the way."

"So I've heard," Baron smirked. "Look, I don't know what's going on here, but if you hurt her in any way, I'm going to find you and break your neck. I'm Baron."

"I'll be there with him." Jimmy threw in. "Jimmy, by the way."

"You've got nothing to worry about."

"We've got every reason to worry." Jimmy pointed out. "We don't know you. She doesn't know you, yet you're getting married. We're going to be concerned."

Baron couldn't stay in the apartment anymore. He couldn't stomach looking at Drew with his arm around Mila. The whole situation was weird to him and he couldn't help but be concerned.

"I have to head to the shop," Baron announced.

Mila broke away from Drew and hugged Baron.

"I love you, Mila." He whispered in her ear. "Call me when you get to Miami. Call me when you get to Boston. Call me every day if you have to. Please, call me every day. I care about you and want to make sure you're safe. I'll see you for the wedding."

"I love you, too." Mila cried. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for being there."

He gave her a kiss on the cheek and broke the hug. He walked past her and past Drew without so much as glancing at him.

"I want you to call me every day." Jimmy smiled, pulling her in for a hug. He held her tight when she hugged him. "I'll see you for the wedding. If you ever need me to come out there, tell me and I'll be there. I'll see you at your wedding. I love you."

"I love you, too." She replied, still crying. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for always being there."

Jimmy gave her a kiss on the cheek and then let her go. He walked over to Drew, a smile on his way. "Pleasure meeting you."

Mila left the living room and followed Jimmy into the hall. Baron was standing by the door, his hands stuffed in his pockets. Despite the scowl on his face, she could see the sadness in his eyes.

"Don't say anything," Baron said, holding up a hand. "We're just going to walk out. Lock the door behind us. We'll see you at the wedding."

Mila nodded. Her friends walked out and closed the door behind them. She locked the door and stood there, staring at it, almost expecting them to come back and try to talk her out of her decision.

"It's still fresh to them." Drew came up behind her. "They'll be better when you see them next time."

She couldn't help but smile. Drew didn't know them, not the way she did. Even if they were accepting, they weren't happy about it. Drew didn't know how to read them, but she did. Come the wedding, they'd be happy on the outside for her sake, but on the inside, they would probably already have Drew's death plotted if he did anything to her.

"Yeah."

"Were you staying here tonight or were you going to the hotel with me?"

"Back to the hotel," Mila answered. "My suitcases are in my room. All I need to do is give my keys to the landlord."

"I'll get them for you."

When he was gone, Mila went to the living and stood in the center. She looked around and smiled sadly. This had been her home and her life for so long. She cried here, she laughed here. The memories she had here were endless and she would always treasure them.

Turning on her heel, she stepped into the hallway, nearly bumping into Drew.

"Are you ready?"

She nodded. Mila opened the door for Drew and let him walk out first. She turned around to sneak one more glance and smiled through her tears.

"Goodbye, home." She whispered.

For the last time, she closed the door. The next chapter of her life was just beginning.

* * *

A/N: Any predictions on what may happen between them?


	6. Miami

Miami

With a towel wrapped tightly around her body, Mila stepped out of the bathroom through a cloud of steam. She held onto her towel when Drew walked into the room. She smiled at him when he came to an abrupt stop, almost shocked that he had caught her nearly naked. His eyes seemed to brighten with interest when he noticed she was only in a towel.

"I just needed to get my phone charger."

Ever since what happened in his hotel back in Los Angeles, they had been particularly shy around each other. If they had brushed against each other, they were both taking a step away, stumbling out an apology. She couldn't stop blushing and he couldn't look her straight in the face.

"I forgot to grab a change of clothes," Mila muttered. "I was in a hurry to get the beach sand off me."

He couldn't keep his eyes off her. Standing in place, he looked her up and down, wishing her towel would magically fall off. He hadn't been able to keep his thoughts straight when he was around her. Mila could have been doing the most insignificant thing and all he wanted to do was run his hands along her curves. He wanted to take her from behind as she screamed out his name.

"Let me know when you're done in there."

Mila nodded, unable to take her eyes off him. He was stirring feelings inside her that she was afraid she couldn't control anymore. Her hold on her towel loosened as she resumed looking through her suitcase. She couldn't focus on what she was doing. Even with her back turned to him, she could feel him staring. She stopped what she was doing and turned around to face him, walking the short distance between them, smirking at him.

"See something you like?"

One arm wrapped around his neck, pulling his face down her to hers. Her free hand slipped into his swim shorts, gently grazing his cock.

"Mila." He groaned.

She pulled her hand out, let Drew go and stepped back, another smirk tugging at her lips. She winked at him and walked away, leaving him high and dry.

Drew looked at her for a moment before following her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to him. He held her to him while his other hand slipped underneath her towel. Her body trembled against him when he gently grazed the skin on her upper thigh.

"I want you so bad," Drew whispered in her ear.

His hand drifted between her legs, his fingers gently grazing along her slit. Her head fell against his chest as she whimpered her approval. An arm wrapped around his neck in an effort to keep from falling to the floor. She gasped when she felt a finger slide inside of her.

"Drew, please." She gasped.

He withdrew his fingers from her and turned her around to face him. He pulled her back to him, holding her tightly against him. He gently brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. He looked into Mila's eyes to see the need for release reflecting in them.

"Please what, love?"

The sensible side of her was telling her to slow down. The side of her that needed to feel a man inside of her after so long was telling her to forget that. Her heart was racing, her body was trembling, she could feel the excitement building in between her legs.

She stood on her tiptoes and brought her lips up to his. Her mouth covered his in a searing kiss. Her tongue slipped into his mouth, tangling with his for dominance. Drew pulled her towel off, allowing it to fall to the floor. Without breaking the kiss, Drew lifted her into his arms with ease and walked them over to the bed.

Laying her down, Drew broke the kiss and stood back, looking down at her. His tongue dragged across his lower lip, his head nodding in appreciation of the sight before him. He pulled his swim shorts down, kicking them away when they reached his feet. Drew was quick to climb on the bed, now hovering over Mila.

"What do you want, love?" He asked, brushing a hand down her right side. "You never told me."

"You."

Drew laid his hands on her thighs, ready to push them apart when the doorbell rang. His head dropped as he groaned with frustration. Worst timing ever.

"Ignore it, Drew."

He shook his head as he sat back on his legs. He looked down at Mila, then over his shoulder towards the door, releasing a deep breath.

"I can't." He growled. "A friend of mine unexpectedly flew in. I think he's checking up on me."

"Let him wait." Mila groaned, sitting up.

"He'll keep ringing the bell until I answer the door."

She could kill whoever was at the front door. She really needed this release, just as much as Drew did. The doorbell ringing again brought her out of her thoughts.

"Make him wait."

"I need to let him in so I can kill him."

Mila flopped back onto the bed and let out a sigh of frustration. Without knowing his friend, she already hated him. He had horrible timing. Propping herself up on her elbows, she looked at Drew, noticing how frustrated he was and just how erect he was. She couldn't let him open the door like that.

She got up and went to her suitcase, pulling out the first pieces of clothing she saw. She quickly got dressed and then turned back to Drew.

"I'll get the door. Go get yourself..." She nodded toward his cock. "...get yourself limp? I don't know. Do _something."_

The doorbell rang and they both groaned in unison. "I'm sorry, Drew, but I think I'm going to kill your friend before you get the chance."

Drew watched her scamper out of the room and then turned to the bathroom. With a beautiful woman like Mila by his side, he was annoyed that he had to use his hand.

Mila bounded down the steps, hurrying to answer the door before he could ring the bell again. She checked her appearance in a nearby mirror. Satisfied with how she looked, she answered the door, unable to even fake a smile. Mila quickly stepped to the side to avoid getting run over by the palest man she had ever seen in her life. She closed the door and followed him to the kitchen.

"I'm surprised you're still here," Sheamus said as he reached into the fridge to get a beer. "Usually, you're gone by dawn."

"I beg your pardon." She said, coming to a stop at the counter. "My name is Mila. You are?"

Sheamus opened the beer and tossed the bottle cap on the counter. It made a small noise as it fell onto the granite.

"You're never going to see me again, but if it means that much to you, my name is Sheamus." He shrugged. "Who are you again? How do you know Drew?"

Mila watched him take a swig of his beer before he plopped down onto a nearby barstool. He sat the beer on the counter, spinning the bottle from side to side while he eyed her curiously.

"My name is Mila." She said, trying to keep herself calm. She didn't like the way he was looking at her. "I-I think it's better you hear everything from Drew."

At first, he thought it was funny that Drew's latest conquest was here and answering the door as if it were her house, but now he was concerned. He didn't like the way her eyes kept shifting away from his, as if she were guilty of some crime.

"I'll go see what's keeping him."

"Why can't you tell me?" He called after her.

She left him alone and went back upstairs to see if Drew was ready. As she stepped into the room, she could hear the shower running. Closing the door behind her, she padded across the room to the bathroom and walked in.

"Your friend is a prick!" Mila shouted over the water.

"I'll deal with him in a second," Drew said, sticking his head out the shower.

She leaned against the counter and folded her arms underneath her breasts. "His rudeness was completely uncalled for!"

The water came to a stop and then the shower curtain was whipped to the side. Drew stepped out of the shower, grabbing the nearby towel and wrapping it around his waist.

"What exactly happened?"

"He mistook me for a one night stand and asked why I was still here," Mila said, unable to keep her eyes off him.

Thinking about that now, the idea stung her. Of course, she hadn't really said much about herself which probably left him even more confused. It worried her that that was his first thought. Was this something Drew did on the regular for him to assume?

"I'm sorry about that." Drew apologized. "Did you tell him who you were?"

"No." Mila sighed. "I thought it'd be best for you to explain."

He closed the space between them, blocking her against the counter. He laughed when she started complaining about the water dripping off him and onto her. He lifted her onto the counter, bringing his lips to hers.

"No, Drew." Mila turned her head away from his. "The moment is gone. Get ready and come downstairs. He's waiting for you."

Drew backed away from her, giving her room to hop of the counter. Without saying another word to him, she left him standing there, annoyed by Sheamus' appearance.

* * *

Drew and Mila found Sheamus still sitting in the kitchen. A few empty bottles of beer were on the counter in front of him. In his left hand he was nursing another beer and in the right was his phone.

"I'm surprised you're still here, lass." He smiled, putting his phone down. "You must be one of the rare serious-and I used that word loosely here-ones."

Drew picked up the empty beer bottles and threw them in the trash. "To what do I owe you the pleasure of this visit? Especially, since I told you I'd be home in a couple of days."

"One thing at a time," Sheamus said, still eying Mila. "Who is she?"

Drew pulled Mila into his embrace, smiling down at her. He looked at Sheamus across the island. "This is Mila Madden. She's my fiancee."

Mila had never seen someone's eyes grow so wide. He was quick to get up to his feet, his shock evident. He kept opening his mouth to form words, but nothing came out. It was hard for Mila not to smirk at the stupid look on his face, especially after the way he had treated her when he first arrived.

"Fiancee?"

"Yes." She smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Sheamus."

"I'm sorry." He looked at Mila, unable to hide his concern. "Can I talk to him alone?"

She wanted to be just as rude to him, but something in his eyes made her soften. His concern reminded her of Baron's concern. She nodded and left them alone.

"Are you fucking insane, mate?" Sheamus asked when she was gone. "You went to California for a week and you come back with the first skirt you come across. Not only that, you're going to marry her. What could you two possibly know about each other?"

Drew drank his beer, then set the bottle down. His only response was a shrug. If he was being honest, he didn't think Sheamus would react like this. He was always on his back to get married and settle down.

"All you can do is stand there and shrug?" Sheamus asked, now pacing. "You've only known each other for a week and you think marriage is a good idea. I can't believe it."

"I know it's a huge shock right now, but I love her. I woke up with her next to me one morning and I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her." Drew said, his eyes focused on his beer bottle. "I've never met anyone like her."

"I'm having a hard time believing it."

"Believe it. I know it's fast and probably a rash decision, but I can't see my life without her. When I wake up in the morning and her head is on my chest and she has that soft angelic smile on her lips, I feel a love I've never felt before. I know she's the one."

"All that after only a week together?"

"Yes," Drew responded. He drank some of his beer. "I can see a future with her. Those stupid anniversary parties that always made me cringe. I could see us raising a family together, taking them to Ayr to visit so they can see where I grew up."

"This is weird."

"What are you even doing here?" Drew asked, changing the subject.

"I was really curious about what else you were doing in California. Especially after you decided not to expand out there. Then when you said you had to make a stop in Miami, I became concerned. I wanted to make sure you didn't do anything stupid."

"Define stupid."

"Your usual behavior." He shrugged. "Which I guess hasn't changed at all since your father's death, given your sudden engagement. I see you preceded your normal level of stupid."

Drew groaned. "I already had one father who picked on every aspect of my life, I don't need another one."

"I just want to make sure you are doing what is right for you. What if this doesn't work out? Then two lives were ruined. She uprooted her entire life to be here with you and then it dissolves. What happens then? This is only going to cause more heartache than two people deserve. Have either of you thought of that?"

"We've put a lot of thought into this," Drew replied, trying to hold back his anger. "You don't even know her. She's a sweet, loving woman."

"I'm not saying she's a bad person, Drew." Sheamus stopped pacing and leaned against the island, looking at his friend. "I'm just saying this isn't the wisest decision. What happens if you have children and you break up? I really don't think either of you has given this much consideration. You can't know everything about a person after a week! My wife and I have been together for thirteen years and I still feel like I don't _everything_ about her."

"It's different for everyone. You're my best mate and I wanted you to be the first to know." Drew responded. "We're going out tonight. Come with us. Get to know her. I want my best mate and my wife to get along."

Sheamus was still suspicious, but he accepted the invite anyway. The only he was going to get to know Mila was if he made the effort. For all he knew, they could be telling the truth and Mila wasn't just using Drew for money.

"Where are we meeting?"

* * *

"Maybe, I should stay in," Mila said as she put her earrings on. "He's already suspicious, Drew. He doesn't like me very much. I can tell. He's rightfully wary around me. Did you think he was going to overlook everything and be happy you're marrying a stranger?"

"The only way I know we're going to pull this off is if we can fool him." Drew came up behind her, catching her eyes in the mirror. "Yes, Sheamus can be insufferable. But he also isn't entirely aware of who you are. When we last spoke, I made no mention of you or our engagement. All I want is for you two to be on better terms."

"You're afraid!" She exclaimed, unable to hide her smile. "For once I am not the only one freaking out!"

"No, I'm just making sure our arses are covered." Drew gently squeezed her shoulders, still looking at her in the mirror. "Please. He is one of my best mates. You're going to need to get used to seeing him a lot."

Her smile fade when she realized he was right. From the sound of it, they were going to be spending a lot of time with his friends. Mila had no family to speak of and nobody in Boston. Drew had very little family in Scotland that he hardly spoke to and nobody but his friends in Boston. This was going to be their family for the next two years. She had to find a way to blend in.

"You're right." Mila finally relented. "If he says one nasty thing to me, I can't promise to be nice."

"He's used to that." Drew laughed, then kissed her on the cheek. "You're the best!"

 _'Please don't let us get caught,'_ Mila thought as she put on her other earring.

* * *

Drew had left the table to get their drinks, leaving Mila and Sheamus alone. The music and chatter of people around them seemed to die down as they stared at one another. Mila pulled her eyes away from Sheamus to look at the empty beer bottles and cups scattered around the table.

"I'm sorry about the way I behaved when we first met." Sheamus apologized. "It was wrong of me to assume."

"Apology accepted."

After dinner, Mila had decided to give Sheamus a chance. She couldn't help but think of Baron and his reaction again. Like Baron, Sheamus was only making sure that Drew was doing what was best for himself.

"You two are really getting married, huh?"

She held up her left hand to show him her ring. She dropped her hand down to her lap when he just smirked and shook his head, still muttering his disbelief under his breath.

"I'm sorry."

"It's all right. My friends were pretty stunned by the news, too. Actually, I'm pretty sure one of them disowned me." Mila frowned. "I know it is difficult to believe, but we really do love each other. Stranger things have happened."

Sheamus had spent the greater part of dinner, observing them, watching how they interact with each other and to say the least, he was less doubtful. Drew was acting differently with this one. He sat close to her. He would periodically make his presence known with a gentle touch here and there. Sheamus couldn't say much for Mila, but she did seem to have genuine feelings for Drew. Even after seeing that display at dinner, he knew it was too soon for them get married.

"Can you understand why everyone is so shocked?"

"I can." Mila agreed. "I was too when he first asked. Actually, I had said no at first because it was too soon for us."

Sheamus laid his forearms on the table, leaning in with interest. His curiosity was aroused once again. "What made you change your mind?"

She was looking down at the table, nervously fiddling with a napkin. "One night he randomly showed up at around eight. He proposed to me again and told me not to answer him until midnight. That way if I did say no at least he had one more night with me."

Now she was making him want to throw up his dinner all over the table. Whether or not this was true, which he seriously doubted, the tale made him feel queasy.

"We went out and by midnight he had changed my mind completely. I did want to spend the rest of my life with him." Mila looked over at Sheamus sitting across from her. "It is fast, I know, but sometimes right off the bat, you know."

Drew returned with their drinks and slid into the booth next to Mila. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. She laid a hand on his thigh and wrapped her other hand around her drink.

"What did I miss?"

Sheamus sat back and only shrugged, unsure how to process what she had just told him. "Not much. We were just talking about you guys."

Drew looked at Mila, trying to hide his worry. She squeezed his thigh reassuringly. "I was telling him that I agree we are crazy for deciding to get married so fast."

"You think we're crazy?"

"Yes." Mila shrugged. "We met, had one date and you proposed the next day. I said no and you came to me the next night with your romantic idea and I knew you were the one for me."

"I'm in the _Twilight Zone_ ," Sheamus muttered, looking at them. "Drew and the word fiancee don't belong in the same sentence. It's going to take time to adjust. All I want to know is that you both want this. Especially, you Drew. I know your track record."

Drew looked down at Mila sitting next to him before turning his head to look at his concerned friend across the table. "We wouldn't be here otherwise."

Finishing the rest of his beer, Sheamus put the mug down on the table. He looked at the happy couple again and sighed. He was still suspicious, unable to shake the feeling that there was something going on. For now, he would have to keep his mouth shut and hope for the best.

"If you're happy, I'm happy."

Mila didn't hear what Drew said next, she was too busy focusing on Sheamus. He was still unsure about her and the engagement. It was in his smile, it didn't feel genuine. Despite what Drew thought, nothing either of them did was going to fool him.

* * *

A/N: Mila and Drew really have their hands full.


	7. Welcome Home

Welcome Home

From the moment she had opened her eyes that morning, her nerves had been all over the place. She hadn't been this nervous when she left California. Miami had been all right, even when Sheamus showed up and unintentionally made her feel like nothing more than a whore. Since Drew had cleared everything up by introducing her as his fiancee, Sheamus had tried talking to her more. Not in a sense that he wanted to get to know her, but rather with suspicious undertones. This was usually when Drew wasn't around to answer before she could part her lips. If you asked her, she had made a complete ass out of herself trying to answer his questions. None of those things had made her this nervous. No, today they were finally going to Boston and that left her with a queasy feeling in her stomach.

She leaned her head on Drew's shoulder, closing her eyes. He was the only person that she really knew at this point and the only one Mila felt she could find comfort with. With Sheamus sitting next to her and side-eying her every once and while she needed to be as close to Drew as possible.

"I promise takeoff will be fine."

"I'm not worried about take off," she mumbled. "I just feel nauseous."

Sheamus looked at the couple, a shit eating grin on his face. "Nauseous, eh?" He asked. "I get it now. She's pregnant and this explains getting married so quick."

Drew reached over and popped Sheamus upside the head while Mila let out a groan. She lifted her head off Drew's shoulder and pressed her head against her seat. She looked at Sheamus from the corner of her eye, trying to fight the urge to smack him too.

"If you must know I hate flying," Mila replied.

"Just do me a favor and keep your mouth shut, Sheamus," Drew shook his head. "She's got enough on her mind without you adding to it."

Sheamus sat back and kept his mouth shut. He was still having a hard time wrapping his head around Drew getting married. This was a man that swore up and down he had no intention of settling down and having a family. Suddenly, Mila appears and Drew magically changes his mind. He couldn't help but wonder what Mila had said or done to get him to change his mind so quickly. This was out of character for Drew. It didn't matter what either of them said, the entire situation seemed odd.

When the plane started taking off, from the corner of his eye, he caught Drew taking hold of Mila's hand, squeezing it in a reassuring manner. He could hear him whispering something in her ear to calm her down. He turned his head to look at her and he suddenly felt bad. Mila had gone pale, her chest was rising and falling heavily with each breath she took.

"It'll be all right, lass." Sheamus tried to reassure her. "The flight is a little over three hours. If you could make it from Los Angeles to Miami then you can do the same here."

Mila glanced at Sheamus to see his concern. Gone was the shit eating grin he sported only moments ago. Instead, she was looking at a man who didn't seem completely apathetic.

"I'll tell you what I tell my daughter..."

"Sheamus, you don't tell your daughter anything," Drew interrupted him. "He puts a little Benadryl in her milk and she's asleep before the plane even takes off."

"That's amazing," Mila said, disbelievingly.

"Kids Benadryl is a good idea. It helps a lot," Sheamus shrugged. "For her and everyone else."

"No, not that." Mila shook her head. "That someone actually decided to purposely have a kid with you."

"Three," Sheamus replied, holding up three fingers.

Drew laughed. "This one's been married for eight years."

"Did she lose a bet?" She asked, laughing for the first time that day.

"Whiskey," Sheamus said, looking around for the drink cart. "You need lots of whiskeys to calm you down."

"Is that what you did with your wife?" She teased.

"No." Drew laughed. "The whiskey is how they wound up with three kids."

"I'm looking forward to the day you announce your first pregnancy." Sheamus shrugged. "I'm going to be saying the same thing. Somehow, in your case, I think it may be true."

Mila looked at Drew, her eyes riveted on his muscles bulging under the sleeves of his tee. They traveled down to his thighs, his jeans outlining the thickness. Biting down on her lower lip, she looked at Sheamus and shrugged, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"You haven't seen him without his clothes on, we won't have a problem."

Drew looked down at her surprised. "The bathroom is back that way if you want to start practicing."

Sheamus squirmed in his seat. " _I_ need the whiskey to knock me unconscious, not you."

When the stewardess finally came around with the drink cart, Drew had passed saying he wanted to attempt to get some sleep before they reached Boston. Sheamus ordered the aforementioned whiskey drinks for himself and Mila.

Mila took her drink from Sheamus when he handed it to her. She looked over at Drew and noticed that he had already fallen asleep.

"Is he asleep already?" Sheamus asked.

"Yeah," Mila replied. "He was up all night. I'm surprised he didn't fall asleep as soon as we boarded."

"I'm surprised you aren't asleep with him." He smirked. "Considering he was up all night."

Mila turned to him, frowning. She drank some of her whiskey, already feeling a sense of calm. She held the little plastic cup in her hand, watching the brown liquid move as she gently swirled it around.

"Not everything is about sex, you know?"

"Did I strike a nerve?"

"Truth?"

Sheamus nodded, then drank.

"Ever since I met you," Mila admitted. "From insinuating that I was someone nightstand when I first met you until now."

"How much did Drew tell you about his life before you?" He asked. "I didn't assume to be an asshole, I swear. Drew and I have been best friends for years. Even if you are getting married, I still know him better than you do. Surely, it crossed your mind why I mistook the whole situation."

"Whatever Drew did before me in the past, is in the past. I have no reason to assume I'm the _only_ woman he's been with." Mila shrugged. "We're all adults here, Sheamus. It's not surprising that he's had relationships with other women or even one night stands. All that matters to me going forward is that he doesn't step out on me."

It was then that Sheamus knew she had no idea what she was getting into with Drew. She didn't know his history with women and just how big of a deal the social columns made out of it. He could only hope Drew would tell her _something_ before they wed.

"How did you meet Drew?" He asked, changing the subject.

"There isn't much to the story." Mila drank some more. "We met at a club I went to with some friends. I noticed him from across the room. He was there with some friends-maybe a business acquaintance of his, but I noticed he kept looking at me too."

"And is that where you fell in love with each other? A look from across the room and you knew you were meant for each other. Cupid struck again."

Mila couldn't help but laugh."No, no little cherubs flying around the room hitting people with arrows. Eye contact was broken when some woman approached him. I turned my attention back on my friends and went on with my night."

"And that's where you fell in love and decided to get married right away?"

Nudging him with her elbow, she shook her head. "No. Now shut up and let me finish telling you the story."

"The floor is yours."

"We crossed paths sometime during the night. I was dancing with my friends and he was..."

"Drew was dancing? Now, I know you're lying."

"Didn't I just tell you to shut up?"

"Sorry."

"Where was I?" She asked herself, tapping her chin with her index finger. "Oh! I remember now! I was dancing with my friends when Drew bumped into me. He maintains it was on accident, but I think he's lying. He could have circled around the dance floor to get to the bar."

The Irishman couldn't help but smile. Her gaze was focused on her empty cup, but he could hear her smile in her voice. She did seem to have feelings for his friend. At a glance, Sheamus knew Drew felt something for her. He noticed it yesterday when he held her hand on their walk to the beach or the way he stared at her when she wasn't looking. Even the way Drew tried to calm her during takeoff made him want to wretch. They were cute. But cute was nowhere serious enough for them to be married. Especially, given Drew's views.

"He bumped into me and I stopped dancing. I looked up at him and smiled, already smitten. He smiled down at me and I felt my heart flutter when I saw his smile reflect in his eyes. He apologized for running into me and offered to get me a drink."

"You fell for that?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"I'm not an airhead," Mila smirked. "I knew what he was doing and found it cheesy, but I did have an interest in him."

"Oh, right, the look across the room. The one that started it all."

"I probably should have phrased myself differently." Mila chuckled.

"Probably." He snorted. "You do know I'm going to make fun of you for that, right?"

"I figured." Mila sighed. "I'll eventually find out something about you to bust your balls over."

"Oh, you will?"

Sheamus was beginning to like her, despite himself. She was quick to react to him and was able to have a good laugh at the same time.

"Oh, I will," Mila promised with a giggle. "You're going to come to hate me."

"Back to the story."

"We got to talking and I didn't like him at first."

"Here you are marrying him," Sheamus said, tilting his head to the side, giving her a questioning look. "Look at how that all worked out."

"He just came off cocky and I just wasn't into it. I got the vibe that I should be thankful he was talking to me. Sure, he was handsome, but there was a level of cockiness to him that I couldn't handle."

"What made you come around?"

Mila looked over at Drew to make sure he was still asleep. The last thing she needed him to hear was this. She chewed on her lower lip, thinking it may have been better to check if he was still asleep when she mentioned she didn't like him at first. Shaking her head, she turned back to Sheamus.

"I was getting ready to leave when he asked me out." She smiled. "There was something in his eyes that I saw that made me want to give him a chance. For a moment that cocky guy that was getting under my skin disappeared and I saw something sweet in him that I wanted to tap into."

The lie was coming to her naturally now. When she had first seen Drew, she wanted to leave with him and hook up with him somewhere else. The sexual attraction she felt for him was immediate and it hasn't waned since.

"Is getting engaged after knowing each for a few days the way to go?"

"Under any other circumstances, I'd say no, but this is different." Mila looked down at her ring, her lips turning up into a smile. "I know it's fucking crazy, but this feels right. I can see us spending the rest of our lives together."

They both looked up when they heard the pilot announce they were preparing for landing. Sheamus put his belt on again while she woke Drew up.

"Congratulations, lass." Sheamus smiled at her. "You survived this flight."

* * *

Mila got out of the car, shutting the door behind her while she looked at the French Provincial mansion looming before her. The stone house ran from end to end, as far as the eye could see. She looked up, noting that that rounded tower almost went up to the sky. The idea of it being like a castle from her childhood fairytales made her smile. The place she was going to call home for the next two years was a real live version of a Disney castle.

"What has you smiling?" Drew asked, coming up beside her.

"This place is like the castle from _Beauty and the Beast_."

Drew took her hand and led her up the stone walkway, the roses blooming around them as they walked up to the dark brown wooden door.

"Was that with the talking furniture?"

Mila laughed. "Yes."

"You won't find that here." He smirked. "Maybe a beast, but no talking furniture."

He unlocked the door and pushed it open. They looked inside the dark foyer and then back at each other, a small smirk tugging at Drew's lips. He left their bags on the stone steps, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and the other around the backs of her knees, lifting her into his arms. She wrapped an arm around his neck, holding onto him.

"Drew, what are you doing?" Mila laughed, looking him in the eyes.

"Welcome home." He whispered.

Mila's laughter died down and silence fell between the engaged couple. They stared at each other for a moment before Drew set her on her feet.

"Home." She whispered, looking around the foyer.

Drew brought their things in from outside and closed the door behind him. He left their bags by the doorway, coming up beside Mila again. He wrapped an arm around her waist, hugging her to his side.

"I want this to be our place for the next two years." He commented.

She nodded absentmindedly as she stupidly gaped at the circular staircase in front of them. At the top of each landing, there was a hall where she only imagined more stairs taking her to God knows where.

"Come on," Drew unwrapped his arm from around her waist, now taking her hand in his, "I want to show you something."

Mila let him lead her to the staircase to her left, moving up the steps with him. They hit the landing, made another left and were met with another set of steps. They moved up those steps before coming to a long hallway. She followed him down the hallway, her eyes adjusting to the cream-colored walls and bright lights. There were doors on either side of her, leaving her to wonder what two people could do with this many rooms.

"I'll show you the rest of the house later." Drew came to a stop in front of the room. "I wanted to show you this before anything else."

The door swung open and Drew gestured for her to walk in before him. Drew followed in behind her, switching on the lights. The light illuminated the spacious room. The cream carpet under her feet was soft, feeling like she was standing on clouds. To her left and right, clothes were organized; either hanging or folded neatly on built in wall shelves. She walked further into the room, making a right and finding all of her shoes, purses, and belts put away.

"How?" She asked, turning around to face Drew.

"When I saw how much stuff you had, I called my contractors and had them convert this room into a closet."

"This is too much." Mila shook her head.

"For what you're doing for me, I don't think it's enough." He replied. "Right over here,' Drew pointed to his right, 'is the door connecting to our bedroom."

 _This place really is a castle_ , Mila thought as she followed him through the next door.

"O-our bedroom?" She stuttered a bit, unable to hide her anxiety.

"We could do separate bedrooms like royalty." He half-kidded. "If you really want to that is."

"And what, you could be a burglar breaking in, finding a pretty helpless woman in the house?" Mila jested. "I'm conveniently turned on by the big muscular man bursting through the door, willing to do anything to save herself."

Drew stared at her for the longest time, trying to hold back both a smirk and the urge to get her into bed. The thought of having her on top of him was starting to make him harden. At the slow pace they were going he was either going to be spending more time in the shower or working out harder in the gym.

"Don't give me ideas."

"Don't give me a French maid's uniform."

"You killed the dream." He frowned, clutching his heart. "Sexy maid gets busted for stealing and the only she won't get reported is if she does her boss some favors."

"Drew, you're going to need to lay off the porno fantasies."

He needed to get them out of the room and pronto. The longer they joked about these fantasies, the more he would want to act them out. Mila wasn't in a hurry to go further than they already had. The last thing he wanted to do was force her into doing something that made her uncomfortable.

She was still anxious about the wedding and now she was even more nervous that they were in Boston. Ever since Sheamus had met them in Miami, she had been on pins and needles. Whenever Sheamus directed his questions at her, Drew felt her stiffen with anxiety. She would try to sputter out an answer, hoping Sheamus would accept it and move on. Drew would never tell her, but he was starting to feel the pressure too. During the last couple of days with Sheamus, he knew they had to be extra careful. One slip up from either of them and the jig was up, making them both look like fools in the end. He thought it would be easier when they arrived in Boston, but the fog was lifting now. It was going to be even more difficult with discerning eyes all around them.

"Let me show you the rest of the house."

Drew started out of the bedroom, leaving Mila with no choice but to follow him. She met him out in the hallway and the grand tour began. He finished showing her their wing of the house and brought her to the guest wing.

"Out of curiosity, what did you and Sheamus talk about on the plane?"

"He asked how you and I met. I told him how he rubbed me the wrong way when we first met, you know? Thinking I was just a one night stand." Mila said as they walked down the stairs. "He really is concerned for your well being, Drew."

"That's just Sheamus being Sheamus." He waved it off. "He's been after me for years to settle down and start a family."

That made Mila think back to Sheamus asking how much she knew about his past. She had to pretend to be unbothered about a past she knew nothing about. If she was being honest, she was worried about what Drew was keeping back. Yes, this was really only a marriage of convenience, but she still couldn't help but feel some trepidation.

"The way he talked, I get the feeling he treats you like a brother. Don't shrug off his concern, Drew. You and I know the truth, but he doesn't. He's just looking out for you. I wouldn't take that lightly. Whether you realize it or not, he's the closest thing you have to family."

"You got all of this from a three-hour conversation on the plane?"

"I'm pretty preceptive."

"Are you going to be like this all the time?"

"Drew, this is serious," Mila said, stopping at the living room entrance. "You can't shrug this off. I understand we're getting married, but we're still total strangers to each other. Just because we know where the other is from and what our professions are, it doesn't mean we really know each other. I'm curious about the man I'm going to marry and live with. Aren't you the least bit curious about me? For all you know, I could be a lunatic looking for blood to spill."

"Let me show you the gym and then we'll head to the kitchen. I bet you're hungry."

Mila grabbed hold of his wrist, tugging on it to get him to stop walking.

"Stop changing the subject!" Mila said, her nerves getting the best of her. "Sheamus asked me if I knew anything about your previous relationships. Is there anything I should know?"

"This is marriage in name only, Mila."

"Drew, we _need_ to know these things about each other. If Sheamus thought I was some conquest and asked if I knew about your previous relationships, then he is suspicious."

"My past is nothing to worry about."

"You saying that is a red flag."

"Mila, we've had a long week." Drew sighed. "I'm not ready to tell you these things yet."

"You're so stubborn."

"One week and you're already passing judgment?"

"I want to get to know you. I don't want to live in a house with a complete stranger for two years." Mila folded her arms under her breasts, trying to keep the chill away. "I don't understand how you think what we're embarking on is going to be easy. Not everything is going to go your way."

He took her hand and pulled her to him, snaking an arm around her waist. He chucked her under the chin, tilting her head up to look at him. "Look, I'm just as nervous as you are. Okay? Back in Los Angeles, it didn't occur to me because I had no familiar faces around me. Sheamus showing up in Miami threw me for a loop and I finally realized just what we are doing. I can't quite process what is going through my head. We're asking too much of each other too soon and it's starting to hit me. I can't be as open as you want me to be right now, but eventually, I will be able to tell you what you want to know. Just like you are doing with me. It's going to happen, but it's going to be a slow process. You've already seen a side of me that _I_ didn't even know existed."

"You're afraid, too?" She asked, her eyes wide.

"Yes, but I didn't want to make you anymore anxious than you already are," Drew admitted. "We're going to be taking on a lot, Mila. You and I are in this together," he cupped the side of her face. "It's not going to happen overnight."

"I'm happy I'm not the only one freaking out." Mila laughed. She rested her hands on his chest. "It makes me feel a little better."

He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. "You're not alone. Now let me show you the gym."

"My, my you're in such a hurry to show me your gym. Are you trying to tell me something?"

Mila disentangled herself from Drew and took a step back, her hands now on her hips, awaiting his response. She felt herself blush when she noticed him looking her up and down, his head shaking from side to side.

"You're perfect the way you are." He mumbled, unable to take his eyes off her. "If you don't find me in the home office, you're going to find me there."

"I'm allowed into the sanctuary?"

"Always."

* * *

The day had exhausted her. From the trip there to her and Drew being alone in the house, she felt fatigue seeping into her bones. After dinner, she excused herself and went up to shower and get changed for bed. All she wanted to do was sleep for the next three days.

After her shower, Mila changed into a blank tank top and black shorts. She exited the bathroom, stopping in her tracks when found Drew already in bed, dressed only in boxer shorts, looking at something on his phone. She chided herself for being nervous. They had already slept in the same bed together. This time wouldn't be any different.

She crawled into bed next to him, relishing the feel of the sheets against her smooth legs. That feeling alone made her more comfortable. With a contented sigh, she cuddled into Drew's side. Ever since his admission downstairs, she was beginning to see him in a different light. For once he didn't seem so stoic and uncaring, he showed her a more vulnerable side that made her feel better about her own.

Drew put his phone down when he felt her leg brush against his, making him jump slightly. Every time they were close to each other, his heart would start to pound. Their constant teasing was tormenting him. A quick kiss on the lips from her was enough to get him started. The caresses they had shared set his veins on fire, making him want more. Every time they would get somewhere, they were interrupted, the mood was suddenly gone.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, trying to think of anything but her naked body.

How does she answer that? She had a half-naked Scotsman equivalent to a Greek Adonis laying next to her in bed. Between her mind wandering back to what almost happened between them in Miami and Los Angeles and sharing in his vulnerability, Mila was quite turned on. All she could think about in the shower was Drew between her legs, his lips all over her, sending her into an entirely different world. She kept wondering what the possibility of him getting into the shower with her and she was done for. That thought alone was enough to make her burst. All he could ask her was how she felt? The question made her want to roll her eyes into the back of her head.

She laid a hand on his bare chest, gently running her nails through his chest hair. She cast a glance upwards to see him better, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. Even just being in bed with him like this was enough to get her going.

"Fine," Mila answered. "A little hot."

"Mila." He groaned when her hand drifted lower. "Stop teasing."

"I'm not." She answered, now draping her arm across his stomach. "I just want to be close to you."

"You say that now. You may be singing a different song a year into the marriage." Drew kidded.

"Is there something I should be worried about?"

Drew wrapped an arm around her shoulder, hugging her to him. "No. Now, go to sleep. We have a long day tomorrow."

* * *

Mila wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep or how long she had been asleep. All she knew was that the room was dark and Drew was gone. She felt around, trying to reach for him, but his spot was empty, leaving his side of the bed cool. He had been gone for a while.

She felt around the nightstand, searching for her phone. When she found it, she hit the home button, looking at the screen through half opened eyes. It was after two in the morning. Sitting up, she swung her feet over the bed, planting her feet firmly on the floor. She switched on the lamp, groaning when the light hit her eyes.

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she got up and started out of the room. She had a feeling she knew where to find Drew. She walked down the steps, her hand running along the wooden railing. She smiled when she reached the bottom of the staircase. For some reason, she was reminded of the beginning of _The Swan Princess_ where Odette was sliding down the railing and she ended up circling around the ornament at the beginning of the railing.

Mila made it down to the gym, stopping at the end of the staircase. From where she stood, she could hear the sound of weights scratching against weights. If she listened closely, she could hear the sounds of heavy metal playing while Drew grunted his way through a workout.

She folded her arms across her chest and started her trek across the home gym, careful not to trip on any weights or bump into any of the machines. She finally found him towards the back, standing up, his arm muscles straining to lift the weight up to the top of his chest.

His hair was pulled up and out of his face. His neck muscles were jutting out as he lowered the bar, then lifted it again, another groan coming from him. Sweat was dripping down his body, his workout shirt sticking to him. Mila chewed on her lower lip, trying to ignore the sensations he was awakening in her.

Movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked over to see Mila standing not too far away from him. Her arms folded across her chest, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. She was still dressed in her black tank top and shorts. Her breasts spilling a bit out the top and her legs exposed, her skin glistening in the light. Her hair was cascading down her back, tousled from sleep.

The weight slipped from his hands, metal loudly clanking together as it collided with the floor. He smirked when she jumped at the sound. He couldn't believe she was down here, it was as if she read his mind. Drew closed the space between them, his hands grabbing either side of her face and bringing his lips down to hers.

She stood on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him back just as hard. Her body pressed against his sweaty body. They broke apart for air, staring, waiting for the other to make their next move.

Drew undid his weight belt and dropped it to the floor. He peeled his shirt off and tossed it aside, his eyes still on Mila. She stood across from him, trembling. She licked her lower lip, her hands fiddling with the hem of her tank top. One more look at him and she felt her body overruling what her brain was screaming at her. Her top came off, flittering to the floor.

He swallowed hard, fighting to keep his composure. They had petted and teased each other for days and now he was finally going to have her. He closed the space between them again, this time their hands eagerly working off the remainder of their clothing.

With ease, Drew lifted her into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her lips found him again. Their tongues tangled together with such passion while Drew walked forward. Mila gasped, breaking the kiss when she felt her back collide with something hard. She turned her head to the side, realizing he backed her against the mirror.

Drew pinned her body against the mirror with his, he pressed a hand against the mirror, while the other drifted down between their legs. He brushed two fingers along her slit, smirking when she moaned at the contact. He pulled them up for them both to see her juices coated on his fingers.

He sucked her off his fingers, keeping his eyes on her. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, tightening her arms around his neck.

"I want you." He whispered in her ear.

He lowered his hand between them again, plunging two fingers inside of her slick pussy. His eyes stayed locked on hers as he pushed his two digits in and out of her. A low moan escaped from Mila, grabbing onto Drew's biceps. She gasped when she felt his fingers curl inside of her, his hand moving at a faster pace. Her moans grew louder, her body starting to jerk harder against his fingers.

"Drew, please." Mila whimpered.

Drew grinned and ran a hand down her side, landing on her hip-caressing her skin. "So needy for my touch, huh?" He asked, coaxing away any inhibitions she may have had with the sound of his voice.

"Fuck-oh Drew-please." She moaned.

With his fingers working faster, Drew leaned in towards her, bringing his lips to her ear. "Louder." Drew urged her.

He pressed on, his fingers working faster, in and out of her pussy as her every moan reached his ears. He could feel her walls clenching around his fingers. He hissed when he felt her fingernails dig into his skin. She was starting to slow down her movements, her eyes clamped shut as he moans grew lower and breathy.

Drew brought his lips back to her ear, "That's a good girl." He whispered, his thrusts slowing down.

Mila's body trembled against his fingers as her orgasm flowed through her. Her grip on Drew's biceps loosened as her body slumped against his. Drew held onto Mila as she came down, pulling his fingers out of her. Mila leaned back against the mirror, breathing heavily-lowering her eyes to Drew's hand. Licking her lower lip, she took hold of his wrist, bringing his fingers into her mouth, sucking her juices off him.

She let his hand fall back down to his side. Her hands found their way to his chest, trying to push him back from. He stood in place, looking down on her, a smirk playing on his lips. Drew held her arms down to her sides, his lips pressing to hers. He nibbled on her lower lip, his tongue sliding inside her mouth, enjoying the taste of her.

Mila managed to push Drew's hands off her arms, bringing her own to his chest again. Without breaking the kiss, she was able to back Drew up, getting her away from the mirror. Mila started pulling away from the kiss, leaving little pecks on his lips as she unwrapped her legs from around his waist and lowered her feet to the floor.

Her fingers trailed down his chest, gently raking his skin.

"I'm not finished with you." He growled, taking hold of both her hands.

She looked up at him, aroused by the way he was glaring down at her. Trying to keep herself from coming right then and there, Mila wordlessly shook her head while she struggled to break his hold on her wrists. Finally, she was successful.

Sinking down to her knees, Mila was leveled with his cock. She wrapped a hand around it, finding that her fingers couldn't touch from the thickness. Mila looked up at Drew to find him staring down intently at her, waiting for her next move. She gently squeezed her hand around his shaft, smirking when he moaned. Easing her grip some, she slowly rubbed her hand up and down his cock. Mila leaned forward, still jerking him off as her tongue flicked against his tip.

Drew moaned when he felt the warmth of her mouth around his cock. He felt her free hand lay on his thigh while the other moved up and down his shaft. She pushed him down her mouth only to quickly pull out. He brought his hand to the back of her head, tangling her hair around his fingers. Drew pushed her head down his shaft, holding her there when he felt the tip of his cock hit her throat.

"Fuck, Mila." He groaned, gently thrusting his hips toward her.

She gagged around him as she pushed her head back, allowing herself to catch her breath. Mila pulled Drew out of her mouth, flicking her tongue against his tip again, before taking him in her mouth. Every grunt from Drew made Mila quicken her pace. She circled her hand around him again, holding it in place while she bobbed up and down his cock. Her other hand drifted from his thigh to his balls, cupping them-squeezing them in her hand.

"Mila." He grunted, leaning forward. He took hold of the back of her head, thrusting his cock in and out of her mouth. "Ahh shit-fuck-so good."

He slipped out of her mouth. Mila kept her eyes on him, her thumb wiping away the pre-cum that was on her lips. Rising to her feet, she stood on her tiptoes, pecking his lips with hers.

"I need you."

Drew pulled her to him and lifted Mila in his arms with ease. He lowered himself to his knees, laying Mila down on the floor underneath him. He pushed her legs apart, crawling in between them. Taking her hands, he brought them above Mila's head, pinning them there.

A breath got stuck in Mila's throat as she looked up at Drew, hovering above her. They stared at each other. The only sound that could be heard between them was their heavy breathing. Just having him close to her like this was enough to excite Mila. She moved underneath him, anticipating more of his touch.

"Look at me." He commanded.

Mila whimpered when she felt Drew slowly inching inside of her. Drew squeezed her hands as he continued to push himself inside her. Their eyes drifted shut at the feel of each other. Mila felt Drew fill her completely, enjoying the sensation. Drew thought he was going to burst from the tightness of her pussy clenching around him.

Drew groaned when Mila gave her hips a slight thrust. "Don't tease me."

His tongue dragged across his lower lip, his head shaking from side to side. "Don't like it?"

He dragged his dick out of her, then slowly pushed inside of her. A low moan came from her as she gently moved underneath him. Her pleas for him to move fast went unheard.

"Drew," she whimpered, "fuck me."

Drew halted his movements. He lowered his lips down to her ear, gently nibbling on her lobe. "Why?" He grunted as he thrust inside of her again.

"Becaahhuse..." She moaned, trying to wriggle her hands out his grasp.

He nuzzled his face in the side of her neck, rocking his hips against hers, faster now. Her hips moved in sync with his, her moans growing louder. She still tried to break his hold on her hands, she wanted to run her hands along his body and look him in the eyes.

Her legs scissored around his waist, pushing him further into her. She moaned with him, begging him to go harder, faster. Drew brought his face over hers, now looking straight into her eyes as he picked up the pace. With each thrust, he moaned with her.

"Oh shit, yes." Mila cried out, her legs unwrapping from around him and falling to the floor. "Harder."

Drew sucked in his lower lip, biting back a grunt as he pulled his cock out of her and slammed back into her. Her every moan and whimper was music to his ears. His hands let go of hers and quickly moved down to her hips. He straightened his back out. For a quick second, he took his left hand off her hip and took hold of her right leg, resting it on his shoulder. He took hold of her hip again, ramming hard into her.

"Oh god, yes, Drew!" Mila moaned. "Don't stop."

"Milaaa, fuck, you feel-oh fuck-good." Drew moaned, quickening the pace.

Mila scratched at the floor, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. Her eyes drifted shut, enjoying the feeling of Drew inside of her. It felt like her every nerve was alive and her every vein on fire. She could feel her heart beating like mad, her breathing ragged.

Drew pulled out of Mila and quickly turned her on her stomach. He watched her bend her knees, her palms now flat on the floor. He took hold of her hips and entered her from behind, his thrusts hard and deep from the start this time. He twisted his hand in her hair, pulling her back to him. Her back arched into his chest as he thrust inside of her.

"Watch us in the mirror," He breathed out.

Mila looked straight ahead, watching Drew's every move in the mirror. Her mouth open, loud guttural moans coming from her. She could see his body moving with hers. Her breasts bounced with each thrust. She brought an arm back, wrapping it around his neck to hold onto him better. She kept her other hand flat on the floor to balance herself as she pushed her pussy down against his cock.

"You feel so good," Drew moaned in her ear. "Keep watching."

She couldn't take her eyes off the mirror, off her-off Drew. She could feel herself getting closer, her whole body was beginning to shake. Her toes were starting to tingle. Only small breathy moans were coming from her now.

"Come for me," he whispered in her ear. "Let go, love."

With one more thrust, she came down hard around him. His name being screamed at the top of her lungs. Her body melted into his as her orgasm took over her.

"Good girl." Drew moaned in her ear.

One final thrust and Drew exploded inside of her, his own orgasm taking over. He laid back on the floor, taking Mila with him. She got off him and laid down next to him on the floor. Not a word was spoken as they stared up at the ceiling, trying to catch their breath.

"Interesting workout." Mila breathed.

Drew propped himself up on an elbow and looked down at her, his eyes traveling up and down her body. "If that's working out for you, neither of us need the gym anymore."

"As long as you keep those thighs of yours, it doesn't matter to me what we do."

Laughing, Drew got up and then helped Mila to her feet. He grabbed her hips and pulled her to him, closing the space between them. His thumbs gently brushed against her smooth skin, while he stared down at her, a small smile playing on his lips.

"I need to get you upstairs."

* * *

A/N: You think this further complicated things for them?


	8. Something New

Something New

Drew opened her car door, extending his hand towards her to help her out. She took his hand and got out. He closed the door behind her as she came up beside him. The sound of the doors locking echoed throughout the garage. He led her over to the elevators.

"Take your time, we aren't in a hurry," Drew said as they got into the elevator. "I had my father's lawyer draw up the papers for us. It outlines the terms that you and I discussed. You can read it over, ask any questions that you may have. If there are any changes that need to be made, we can discuss it and see what we can agree on."

Mila tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. The last twenty-four hours had been nerve-wracking. Not only was she going to sign a prenuptial agreement, but she was also going to start wedding dress shopping with a woman she didn't know. Their wedding was starting to turn into a real thing. No matter how much Mila stared at her engagement ring, none of it had felt real until she woke up this morning.

"Are you sure he won't be none the wiser to what we're doing?" She whispered. "He knows about the codicil."

"Don't worry about it," Drew said as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. "What he thinks or says won't matter."

They stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway. Drew laced his hand with hers and led her down the hall towards a set of floor to ceiling glass double doors.

"I'm just so nervous, Drew," Mila whispered as they walked down the hall. "This is all becoming so real now."

"I know," Drew squeezed her hand reassuringly. "We'll be fine."

He let go of her hand when they reached the door. Wrapping a hand around the metal handle, Drew pulled the door open, holding it for Mila to walk in ahead of him. He followed behind her, the door closing behind them. Coming up next to her, Drew took her hand in his again. Together they walked over the receptionist's desk.

"We're here for our ten o'clock with Mr. Lawrence."

The receptionist looked at the couple, her eyes lingering on Drew for a moment. A slight smile formed on her lips, but quickly faded when she noticed Mila was next to him, her hand anxiously squeezing his.

"Please, have a seat," she gestured to the leather couches behind them. "I'll inform him you've arrived."

They sat down on the couches across the room. They were still holding onto each other as if they had been glued together. With her legs crossed, she sat as close to Drew as possible, looking up at him, unable to hide her smirk. Mila looked across the room at the receptionist, watching her until she got up and walked into the office that was behind her.

"I'm going to have to get used to women eyeing you," Mila whispered, unable to hide her amusement. "I think this is like the tenth time I've been blatantly ignored while standing next to you."

"Are you jealous?"

"Do I have a reason to be?" She asked, momentarily forgetting it was a sham marriage.

Drew leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, his free hand gently brushing along her cheek. After the night before he was beginning to feel a little closer to her.

"No, you don't," Drew whispered.

Before she could respond, they heard someone clear their throat, bringing them back into the real world. They both looked over to see the receptionist standing in front of them, a tight smile on her face.

"Mr. Lawerence will see you now."

They got up and walked across the room. Drew let go of her hand, wrapping his arm around her waist. He let his hand drift down some, resting his palm on her ass, giving her a light smack. He swallowed back his laughter when he heard the small squeak come from Mila.

"I hate you,' she muttered.

"The receptionist is still watching," he said as they reached the door.

Mila rolled her eyes. "Behave."

The receptionist hurried in front of them, opening the door. She stepped aside to give them room to enter. Once they were inside, Mila turned in time to see the flushed look on her face. She smiled at her and then turned back around in time for introductions.

"Mr. Lawerence, how are you?" Drew greeted.

"I'm doing great, Drew," he came around the desk to shake hiss hand. "I understand congratulations are in order for you. This was rather quick."

"I know, everyone tells us so," Drew laughed. "But when you know you know. This is Camilla Madden, my fiancee."

"Hello, Mr. Lawerence," Mila greeted, shaking his hand. "How are you?"

"Very well, thank you. Please, have a seat."

They sat down in the brown leather chairs in front of his desk while he moved around his desk and sat back down. He picked up a manila folder and laid it down on the desk in front of him.

"I have everything written out as you requested," Mr. Lawerence opened the document. "I'll give you a moment to look over it. I'll return shortly to answer any questions."

He rose from his seat and handed the documents to Drew.

"Thank you."

When he was gone, Drew looked back to be sure he was gone and then looked over at Mila. He flashed her brief smile before looking over the papers again. Everything was in order. It was as if they had written it on their own.

"It all looks good to me." He said, handing everything over to Mila.

With shaky hands, Mila took the papers from him and laid them on her thighs. She nervously shook her legs while she read over it. Everything checked out fine. Their entire arrangement had been put into black and white. If the marriage dissolved within five years Mila would acquire half of Drew's earnings during their marriage. Any gifts and purchases during the marriage were to be divided equally amongst all parties involved. If the marriage produced children, Drew would be required to pay for child and spousal support.

"How does it sound?"

Mila flipped over to the next page, trying to ignore the bit about children. When she was done reading, she looked over at Drew, shrugging. There wasn't much else to say or add to their agreement.

"So far, so good. It's everything we talked about."

A moment later Mr. Lawerence rejoined them.

"Are there any questions?"

"We are set," Drew replied. "You've got everything down to the letter."

"Excellent," he replied, handing Drew a pen. "I just need you to sign these. I had two copies made up. One for your records and a backup I'll keep here if need be."

Mila took the pen from Drew, trying to keep her hand from shaking too much. She was a woman on the brink of marrying the man she loved, she shouldn't have been _this_ nervous. Actually, she shouldn't have been this calm. Most women detested the idea of signing prenuptial agreements.

In an effort to relax her, Drew rested a hand on her knee. He whispered his reassurances in her ear, telling Mila that it was going to be all right and that there is nothing he would ever do to hurt her. Once she had them signed, she handed them over to Mr. Lawerence.

With their copy in hand and after giving their thanks, they left the office hand in hand. They said their goodbyes to the receptionist and were soon in their car, on the way to Drew's office.

"Children, huh?" Mila asked.

"You noticed that?" He asked, unsure if he wanted to hear her answer. "I was hoping you hadn't noticed when you didn't ask about it."

"Yes, I noticed it," Mila replied, trying to keep calm. "We said no kids because this is only for two years."

"I know. Look, when I was having him draw it up it dawned on me that kids could happen even if we didn't want them," Drew admitted. "I'm not saying we are going to purposely have kids, that would be stupid given our circumstances. We have to be prepared just in case. I want to make sure that if there is a baby that you're both taken care of."

"If there were a baby, would you be in its life or would you just throw money at us to leave you alone?"

Drew glanced at her before focusing on the road again. "Of course, I would be in its life. If a family were in my future I wouldn't be like my father. I just want to make sure you're taken care of. If it did come to that, we could work out a joint custody agreement."

"This morning my biggest challenge was a wedding dress and now we're talking kids."

"We're not going to have kids." Drew reached over the console to grab her hand. "It was just a precaution. Accidents do happen."

"How would you feel if I did end up getting pregnant?"

"I wouldn't be upset if it happened if that's what you mean," Drew admitted. "I'd be surprised, but we'd have a baby. The family line goes on. I would have someone to pass the business on to when I think they're ready."

"I'm surprised you didn't write it in that we had to have at least one," Mila muttered. "Kids."

"Do you not like kids?"

"I love them. Just seeing it in writing messed with me."

Drew pulled into his parking spot and killed the engine. With his car keys in hand, he sat back, blowing out a breath. She was putting a lot of thought into something that wasn't even going to happen.

"If it happens, it happens. We'll find a way to work it out."

Mila nodded. If last night was any indication, they would need to be careful.

"Let's get going," Drew said, changing the subject. "I need to get some work done. My friend and his wife are waiting for us upstairs. His wife is going to help you search for a dress."

They got out the car and walked towards the building. He held her hand all the way upstairs, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, quietly reassuring her that everything was all right.

* * *

"This sounds like such a fairytale," Lana gushed as they walked to her car. "It's like a Disney movie coming to life. It really is quite charming if you think of it!"

Mila smiled in an effort to keep from laughing. From the moment they had met in Drew's office, Lana had been nothing but sweet. Her exuberance over their quick engagement was by far the most positive reaction they had gotten so far. She couldn't help but like her.

"Did you have any ideas for a wedding dress?" Lana asked, unlocking the car door.

"Honestly, no," Mila answered when they got settled in the car. "It's been such a busy week that I haven't given it much thought."

"That's all right," Lana assured her. "You're with me now and I know the best bridal shops. Drew left you in good hands."

Mila laughed. "I'm trusting you to be honest. Growing up I've never given marriage any thought. Actually, I never had any intention of getting married."

"No?" Lana asked as she switched lanes. "What about Drew made you change your mind? I mean, it had to have been something big if you thought marriage after three days was a good idea."

 _'He needs to me to hold onto his inheritance and I need financial support,'_ Mila thought to herself.

"Have you seen him?" Mila joked.

"Every woman has a type." Lana shrugged, laughing. "Yours just happens to be a six foot five, brooding Scotsman."

"I hope we haven't bitten off more than we can chew," Mila said, her laughter fading. "I know this is all too fast and out of the blue. I just hope we didn't fall in love too hard and too fast."

"You moved across the country to be with him. That's not something you do if you aren't in it for the long haul." Lana assured her. "I've known Drew for about four years and I've never seen him in love with a woman as he is with you. He's paraded so many women around, I have random nameless girlfriends of his in group pictures we've taken together. I'd say out of all of those women, maybe two were fairly serious. Keep in mind I'm using the word serious loosely here."

"How serious is serious?"

Mila was curious. Neither her nor Drew had talked much about their previous relationships. She wanted to know _something_ so she wouldn't look stupid in situations like this. At the same time, she didn't. Maybe it wasn't her business to know. After all, he had never asked about any of her previous relationships.

"Nowhere near as serious as any relationships I've had. I would also take a guess and say nowhere near as long as any of your previous relationships," she said, turning into a parking lot. "The first serious one lasted about ten months and the other one lasted about five. All the others were just one time things or quick flings. I always thought he had a fear of commitment."

"That's it?" Mila asked, astonished.

"He's a playboy. Drew and his family are well known. His father for his work in real estate development and Drew for being the Scottish Playboy with a silver spoon in his mouth. His exploits have been well talked about at parties and splashed in the social columns here."

"I knew there were other women before me. Drew is a charming man, there's no denying that." Mila ran a hand through her hair. "I didn't think it was anywhere near as much as you're implying."

They got out the car and started walking towards the bridal shop.

"Don't let what I'm saying scare you. My intentions aren't to make you doubt him or give you cold feet." Lana said after noticing her panic. "The Drew I saw today is very different from the Drew I know. I've never seen him look at anybody the way he looks at you. I've never seen him smile so much. Up until now, I've never heard of him trying to calm a person down because of one phobia or another."

"You heard about that?"

"Sheamus couldn't wait to tell us," Lana laughed. "This Drew I met today is different and that's because you already brought out a change in him. He doesn't seem as cold-hearted."

"I take it you don't like him much," Mila said as they came to a stop in front of the shop.

"No, not very much," Lana admitted. "The feeling is mutual. We're civil with each other because of Rusev."

Mila nodded. "Fair enough. Why help me though?"

"Because even with the little we know about each other, I know we're going to be good friends." Lana grabbed her hand and opened the door, pulling Mila inside with her. "Let's start dress hunting."

Laughing, Mila allowed her to drag her into the store, feeling better about having at least one friend here.

* * *

Drew wished he could have said he was relieved the meeting was over, but he'd be lying. He'd rather listen to Drew Gulak drone on with his powerpoint presentations than have to answer Rusev's questions while Sheamus sat to the side, grinning like an idiot.

"We really need our bid on the Cena property to go through," Drew said as they exited the boardroom. "I will not let that deal slip through our fingers."

"John Cena and his team are looking over our agreement as we speak," Rusev said as they headed towards Drew's office. "My guess is he's waiting to see what other bids he's going to get before he makes his final decision."

"He needs to make it fast. The sooner we hear something, the sooner we can move on with our plans." Drew muttered as he threw open his office door. "I at least need our offer accepted before the wedding. We can start work with Aleister and his construction team."

Sheamus was the last one in the office, closing the door behind him. He dropped his briefcase on the table and plopped down on the leather couch, tugging at his tie.

"Speaking of your wedding, where did you meet the blushing bride?" Rusev asked, sitting down next to Sheamus. "I didn't know you had gone to California to find a wife."

"I had no intention of finding a wife, it just happened." Drew shrugged. "We met, got to know each other and I asked her to marry me."

"You got to know each other in three days?" Rusev asked, skeptical.

"Well enough for us to know we wanted to spend our lives together."

"Please, that meeting gave me a headache," Sheamus complained, rubbing his temples. "Don't make me vomit with all this sweet talk."

"I just want to know is all," Rusev shrugged. "You left town for a week and came back engaged. It's out of character for you, Drew. I can't even count on both hands how many times I've heard you say that marriage and kids weren't for you."

"Things change," Drew huffed. "As soon as I saw her, I knew there was something different."

Rusev scrunched his face in disgust. "I think _I'm_ going to be sick."

"At least you have an escape." Sheamus laughed. "I had to sit through this on the plane from Miami."

"Stop being an arse!" Drew shouted across his office. "I was asleep for most of the plane ride while Sheamus and Mila had a heart to heart."

"Yes, but I did witness you calming Mila down during takeoff," Sheamus replied, his face softening. "I've never seen you care so much about someone that isn't you or one of us."

"It was sickeningly sweet to hear," Rusev admitted.

"You told him?"

"And Lana."

Drew leaned back in his chair, tilting his head up to stare at the ceiling. He wished he could be anywhere but in his office.

"I'm just proud of my boy, the ice around his heart is starting to melt." Sheamus wiped away an imaginary tear. "He learned to love."

"Dare I say it, soon we'll hear the pitter patter of a McIntyre baby running down these halls," Rusev joined in, his laughter echoing throughout the office.

Drew sat forward, glaring at his friends. "You're not invited to my wedding."

"Yeah, no invite is really going to stop us," Sheamus smirked. "Besides, you need us there. Mila needs another familiar face there besides yours."

"You're familiar with her?"

"We did have a heart to heart on the plane." Sheamus reminded him. "I've grown rather fond of her already. Anybody that can stand up to your bullshit is good in my book."

"I hate you both." Drew got up. "Come on, let's get some drinks. I want to get home before Mila does."

Rusev and Sheamus started laughing, both of them amused with the idea of Drew running home. Things were going to change and they were going to change fast. Instead of them bailing on plans because of the wives or kids, it was going to be Drew.

"I'm glad you're enjoying this."

"Now you know how it feels." Sheamus patted Drew on the back. "You and Mila are going to be spending so much time together, be it alone or going to one event after another, there is going to be no more partying and loose women."

"I don't need that anymore." Drew shrugged. "I have Mila."

"I think she got the short end of the deal." Rusev laughed.

Sheamus thought of their talk on the plane yesterday. "She's a tough girl, she'll beat the odds."

* * *

"I'm sorry dress shopping a bust today." Lana apologized as she drove up the long driveway to Drew's house. "We'll have better luck tomorrow."

"I hope so." Mila sighed. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"I'll see you in the morning." She smiled. "Don't forget your bags in the back seat."

"I won't." Mila unbuckled her seatbelt and got out. "Thanks again for everything!"

As Mila was taking her things out the backseat, she heard another car drive up. She looked over her shoulder to see Drew pulling up to next to Lana. He smiled at her as he got out.

"Perfect timing!" Mila cried. "You can bring these inside the house!"

"We're not even married yet and you're bossing me around," Drew smirked, shaking his head. "After one day with Lana."

"Nice seeing you again, too, Drew." Lana greeted.

"You can do this without adding your commentary." Mila teased. She grabbed the last bag. "Thanks again!"

When Lana was gone, Mila turned around and went inside, nearly bumping into Drew.

"I'll be back in a minute, I just need to park the car in the garage," Drew said, walking past her. "Weather calls for a thunderstorm tonight."

Mila nodded as she walked further into the house, sighing at the sight of all the bags. After five bridal shops and no sign of _the_ wedding dress, they had given up for the day. Instead, they had gone shopping, buying things they didn't need. Though Mila did find a couple of things for the wedding night. According to Lana, it was needed.

Drew came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Did you find a dress?"

"We went to five bridal shops and found nothing," Mila said as she melted into his embrace. "Though, I did find a few things for the wedding night and honeymoon."

"Anything I can see now?" He whispered in her ear.

"No," Mila said as she pushed his hands away from her. She stepped away from him. "It's going to be a surprise."

"Yeah?"

"The surprise is also going to be if we even do anything." Mila turned around to face him, her arms folded across her chest. Her foot tapping against the floor. "Lana told me some interesting things today. My instincts tell me I should have heard these things from you."

Drew hung his head, groaning. "What did she tell you?"

"Lana is the second person to mention something about your past. Sheamus being the first. While Sheamus wasn't very detailed, he did imply there were many others. It's why he confused me with one of your one night stands." Mila dropped her arms down to her sides. "Drew, we need to talk. I don't think it's fair that I'm hearing these things from everyone but you."

He stepped towards her only for Mila to step back, shaking her head.

"Drew, just tell me. I can't keep pretending to know these things when I don't."

Drew sighed. He looked away from her and then back at her. The disappointment was evident in her face. He ran a hand through his hair before nodding.

"You're right, you're right." Drew relented. "Leave the bags there. I'll take them upstairs for you later. Let's talk first."

Mila followed him to the kitchen. She sat down on a stool by the island while he pulled two beers out of the fridge. He handed one to her and then sat down.

"What exactly did Lana tell you?"

"That you're quite the ladies man," Mila smirked. "That she's seen quite a number of women walk in and out of your life. Is it true that two of your longest relationships lasted between five and ten months respectively?"

"I was going to tell you."

"After you got me into bed a few more times?"

"It's not exactly easy telling the woman you're about to marry about these things. Be it a real wife or a sham wife." Drew sighed. "My track record with women isn't the greatest because I never cared to have an actual relationship. I didn't want to be tied down to anybody. I wanted to be able to do what I wanted when I wanted, leave when I wanted. I couldn't do that if I were in a committed relationship."

"So you took to whoring around?"

They fell silent for a moment as they each took a drink of their beer.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. Every night, every weekend, I had a new woman on my arm. I even had a fling here and there," Drew admitted. "Of course until those two women who made me believe for a moment, I could have a stable, functioning relationship."

"What happened there?"

"It didn't work out. Mostly my doing of course." He gulped down half his beer in that one sip. "I thought I could commit, but I couldn't. I had a hard time opening up and staying close to home."

Mila finished the rest of her beer, pushing her empty bottle aside. "I didn't expect you to be a saint, Drew. I'm not an idiot, I knew there were other women before me and that's fine. That was before me. Stop keeping things from me. Your friends are talking about these things because they think I know. It doesn't make matters any better when they keep hinting that you're this massive asshole showing a different side now that I'm here."

"I don't know what you want from me."

"The truth!" She exclaimed. "That's all. Just so I know what I'm working with, so I know what I'm walking into."

"Do you want me to write you a novel?"

"Spare me the sarcasm," she scoffed. "Your friends are suspicious as it is. That's why they're asking us all these questions. It's why they are looking at me strangely, trying to figure out my true purpose for being here. You are seriously naive if you think all of them believe we fell in love this fast and decided getting married was a good idea. If we're not careful and don't cover ourselves, then the cracks will start to show."

"It doesn't matter what they think or what they see."

"No?" She asked, looking at him inquisitively. "Then why not tell them what we're doing?"

"We've had a long day, Mila. I don't want to fight with you."

"This isn't a fight." Mila ran a hand through her hair. "We're having a serious discussion."

"You forget that this isn't a _real_ relationship," Drew replied. "There is absolutely no reason for us to be having this discussion. I don't owe you anything."

Mila scooted the bar stool back and hopped off. She took the ring off and set it on the counter. Without looking back at him, Mila left him alone in the kitchen.

Her mind was made up, she was going home.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!


	9. Sorry

Sorry

Drew didn't know how long he sat in the kitchen staring at her ring. The canary diamond glittered in the kitchen light, the stone shining brightly. Sighing, he reached across the counter and picked it up. He inspected the jewelry, thinking back to the day he bought it for her. In all his life had never seen someone so nervous and genuinely modest. Most of the women he knew would have expected something extravagant just because they gave him their time.

Thinking clearly about her words now, maybe he did _owe_ her something. After all, Mila did uproot her entire life to marry a complete stranger that needed a favor. Nobody in their right mind would accept such a proposal. Then again, nobody in _their_ right mind would offer such a proposal.

There had to be a way to convince her to stay. Nobody would do what she is doing. He could say it was for the money, but when he first proposed the idea she had rejected him. If he remembered correctly she tried to ditch him at the restaurant. Drew wasn't stupid, he knew it wasn't only his persuasion that led them here. Mila didn't strike him as greedy or a gold digger. Was she really doing this out of the goodness of her heart?

Glancing at the ring once more he got up and started out of the kitchen. He may have an idea on how to fix things between them. He couldn't lose her, though he couldn't say why he wanted her to stay so badly.

* * *

Mila had finished packing a suitcase. The rest of her things she would have Drew send out once she was settled somewhere else. Part of her wanted to go back to Los Angeles, but she was embarrassed. She had made such a show over her love for Drew. With her insistence that she was doing the right thing, she knew she'd look like ridiculous if she went back. Another part of her thought of going back to Chicago, but she nixed the idea. She hadn't been back home since her grandparents had passed away. What would be the point in going back now?

Now she was sitting in the library, attempting to read, but she couldn't focus. Her eyes slid over the words and she found herself reading the same passage multiple times. Mila finally slammed the book shut and sat back in the wing-backed chair. She tilted her head up and groaned.

"Son of a bitch. I help him out of the goodness of my heart. I just ask a few questions to make our relationship all the more authentic and he gets pissy." Mila muttered to herself. "What is wrong with the man? Why won't he open up in the slightest bit? It's not like I'm asking him for a vital organ. My God, if it's going to be this way when a challenge presents itself, there is no way I'm going to survive the next two years. There's no way the two of us can coexist if the slightest things set him off."

Mila got up, leaving the book on the chair. She left it there in the event she planned on avoiding Drew until she left the following morning. She was such an idiot thinking that this arrangement was going to work. Neither of them had put much thought into this. Their personalities were vastly different from one another and they were going to clash on several more occasions. Especially if Drew remained aloof.

"After the great sex." Mila continued her rant to herself as she walked down the hall. "Mila, you stupid idiot. You shouldn't have jumped into bed with him so fast. Look where it got you. It's as if you haven't learned a single thing all your life."

She bounded down the steps, still muttering to herself under her breath. When she made it downstairs, she realized that Drew wasn't home. She hadn't heard him leave. He didn't tell her he was going anywhere. Shrugging, she figured it was for the best.

"It feels weird that I feel bad about leaving him." Mila went on as she walked to the kitchen. "I don't know why though. It's not like we've known each other long enough to bond. It's not like I'm in love with the man. I hardly know him. Our marriage was going to be one of convenience anyway. There were no real feelings attached. No, no, leaving is for the best. It's the best thing for both of us. He can find some airhead that won't question his every move and thought."

Mila filled the kettle with water and put it down on the stove. She turned the burner on and then stepped away, making herself comfortable on a stool. With her phone in hand, she rested her elbows on the counter, aimlessly scrolling through her social media accounts, hardly recognizing anything that she was staring at. No matter how much she tried to focus on what she was doing, her mind wandered back to Drew. Every time it did, her heart would start to race.

The whistling of the tea kettle broke her out of her thoughts. She turned the stove off and walked over to the corner cabinet, opening it and pulling out a mug. As she poured the steaming hot water into the mug, Mila found herself thinking again.

"Why am I making such a big deal over this?" She set the kettle on the stove again. "We haven't known each other long enough for me to question myself. Physically he's a good-looking man. I'd be a damned liar if I said otherwise. But in terms of mentality and personality, there's so much I don't know and will never know."

She opened the drawer in front of her and pulled out the box of chamomile tea. She dunked the tea bag in the water, watching it change color.

"I was stupid enough to uproot my entire life to help this guy. I'm being smart enough to leave before we get in deeper." Mila sighed as she picked up her tea and started for the back door. Stepping outside, Mila closed the door behind her and inhaled the fresh summer air. It was after ten but the air felt so crisp and cool.

Mila made herself comfortable on a lounge chair and stretched out on it. It was so quiet and serene out here. A change from being inside the house. It felt as if she had left her loud thoughts behind her. She brought her tea to her lips, taking a sip, and feeling the calmness flow through her body.

"I'm doing the right thing," Mila whispered, looking up at the stars. "This is the best things for both of us."

* * *

Mila heard the door open and she turned her head to see Drew stepping outside. She frowned at the thought of having to go through the entire process all over again.

"When you don't want to be found, you don't want to be found."

"Yet, here you are," Mila grumbled, resting her head against the lounge chair. "So I can't be that good."

Drew bravely walked over to her and sat down in the empty seat next to her. He eyed the empty mug on the table and knew she had been outside for a while.

"I was worried you had already left. When I couldn't find you at first, I finally thought to check the library. I found your book sitting on the chair you were in. I knew you hadn't left yet."

"Am I that predictable already?"

Even though she couldn't see him, Drew still smiled. He watched her as she stared up at the star-filled sky. The back of her head was pressed against the chair, her eyes focused on the scenery above her. Her hands were clasped and resting on her stomach, gently rising and falling with each breath she took. Her legs were crossed at her ankles, shaking them. Since he had sat down next to her, Mila hadn't made any eye contact. She was still upset with him.

"No, I just notice things," Drew replied, looking into the dark backyard. "I noticed that you love to read, that you like living in different worlds. I can tell when something is making you anxious. You either bite your lip or let out a nervous sigh. Sometimes you get so frustrated with what you're reading that you slam the book shut and put it aside."

Mila uncrossed her legs and sat up straight, turning on her side to look at Drew. In the glow of the light, she could see the impish glint in Drew's eyes. He was looking at her strangely, almost making her regret her decision to call off the engagement.

"Oh, you think you're being so smart trying to butter me up."

Drew frowned, choosing to ignore her remark.

"When it storms outside, you wrap yourself in a blanket and snuggle into my side, your head resting on my chest." Drew continued. "Just knowing you are here gives me a sense of comfort I haven't felt before."

Mila threw her legs over the side of the lounger and got up. Reaching for her mug, she started towards the door. "I'm going to make myself some more tea. Do you want some?"

"Don't run away from me."

"I'm not running," Mila whispered, then went inside.

Minutes later, with a light sweater on and two mugs of tea, Mila rejoined Drew. She made herself comfortable on the lounger again, this time facing Drew. They sat in silence, staring at each other. She blew into her tea to cool it down while Drew drank some of his.

She looked away from him, staring down at her tea. "I'm leaving tomorrow, Drew. Once I'm settled somewhere I'll send for my things. I'll pay for the delivery fees."

Drew placed his mug on the small table between them. He leaned forward, his arms resting on his thighs, his eyes wordlessly begging her to stay with him.

"Don't leave me."

Mila sat up straight and shifted so that she was facing Drew, her eyes on him now. She could see the panic in his blue eyes and she could feel her resistance melting.

 _'NO!_ ' Mila internally screamed at herself. She looked down at her feet, gently shaking her head from side to side. After arguing with herself for a few hours, she had to remain strong and stand by her decision. Drew couldn't impact her decision.

"Stop, Drew, please just stop," Mila begged him. "Don't make this harder than it has to be."

He chucked her under the chin, looking her in the eyes. "I spent the better part of three hours driving around this damned city trying to find the perfect way to apologize for you. Nothing I found in the stores seemed to suit you. Finally, I gave up. So I just started driving around, thinking about you. Thinking about how I can make this right between us."

"I have to go." Mila pulled back. "We're not a real couple by any stretch of the imagination, let's not fool ourselves here. We know the truth. But we can still be friends and as friends, we need to know some things about each other. That was the only point I was trying to make. If we can't be honest with each other, then we're just going to tear each other limb from limb."

"I thought of a way to make it right between us," Drew whispered, leaning in closer. "I put a lot of thought into this and I've decided that you are right to ask questions, you are right to want to know. For all that you're doing for me and have already done, I owe you that much."

"Drew, please..."

Her thought was forgotten when Drew pressed his lips to hers, gently kissing her. He cupped the side of her face, gently brushing his thumb along her jawline. His tongue gently probed against her lips until she parted them. She deepened the kiss, her head tilting to the side as she tried to explore more of his mouth, a muffled contented sigh coming from her.

"Hear me out." Drew breathed when they broke apart, his forehead pressed against hers.

His words hung in the air as they tried to catch their breath. He was still cupping the side of her face, her eyes were still closed, a slight smile on her lips. Somehow, Drew felt like he was getting through to her.

Mila pulled his hand from the side of her face, intertwining her fingers with his. She gently squeezed his hand. Her eyes now open, she looked straight into this eyes again, now unable to read them. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. Before she could sense his panic and anxiety and now he seemed calm. As if her touch, her presence was enough to soothe him.

Mila pulled back again and looked up at the sky again. It was still the dark inky blue color it was before, only now there were fewer stars. Wisps of clouds were starting to come in, covering up the sparkly diamonds she longed to touch as a child.

"If you don't like what I have to say, I'll take you to the airport in the morning."

She let go of his hand and reached for her tea. She drank some more and brought the mug from her lips, gently nodding her head. If he was willing to tell her now, Mila was going to listen and see if she could be swayed.

"I have a bit of reputation."

Mila looked at him with mock disbelief.

"Okay, fine, I have a _huge_ reputation. There have been countless women that have been in and out of my life. Names and faces are all a blur. They don't matter to me. They're in the past. Yes, my eye wandered and I had my fun. But I've never in my life felt at ease with a woman the way I do with you. You're genuine in everything that you say and do and it makes me feel good to know I have you by my side."

"Drew..."

"If you're still unsure, take the night to think about it before you make your decision final."

"I'll think about it." She urged him as she leaned back. "Continue."

"I was a complete dick earlier." He sighed. He rested a hand on one of her knees. "You were right to be upset. You were right to ask me about my past, for the lack of a better word, relationships. These are things that you have a right to know about. I'm just not used to having someone pester me about these matters. It's crazy to say this out loud, but _you're_ going to be my longest relationship."

"Am I supposed to be flattered?"

"You asked and now I'm telling you." Drew leaned back onto his lounger now. "Where do I begin?"

"The beginning is a good place to start."

Now Drew was looking up at the sky, noticing the clouds were starting to cover the stars. It seemed to grow darker, almost reflective of his mood, no doubt.

"Growing up, I always knew there was something different about the relationship my parents had. All the kids I knew growing up either had both parents together, divorced, or one that passed on, but my parents were different. My father moved between here and Ayr. It made the strain on their relationship even harder. I saw what it did to my mother, but I didn't quite understand what the problem was. It wasn't until I was older that I began to understand what was going on. I started to see why my mother was always upset, why she was always crying. I began to understand why she and my father would fight when they spoke on the phone or when he was home."

Mila leaned forward again, reaching out to rest a hand on his forearm, giving it a gentle squeeze. Even with what little he had told her, she had an idea where he was going and she felt for him. Not having parents was always hard for her, but she still grew up loved by her grandparents. He had both parents and was bounced back and forth until his mind couldn't take the turmoil anymore.

"When I was about fifteen I had just gotten home- either I was coming home from school or from somewhere with friends, I can't remember." He waved the thought off. "It isn't important to the story. She was in the living room, sitting with a friend of hers. I know she didn't hear me come in through the front door, she would have stopped if she did. I stopped in the foyer and stood silent, listening to her cry, telling her friend about another affair my father had. She told her how this had been consistent throughout their entire marriage, but she didn't have the heart to leave him because she loved him, because she wanted me to have some sort of father figure in my life."

Drew turned his head to the side to look at her. Mila's lower lip was trembling and she was blinking uncontrollably, no doubt trying to hold her tears back. Suddenly, it dawned on him. Her parents had died when she was a child, he had no right to feel bad for himself when she didn't know the influence a parent can have on a child.

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "I don't want you to pity me. Not when I had my parents and you didn't."

"I had my grandparents and that was enough for me." She squeezed his arm again. "Don't feel bad. I still grew up with love in my house."

If it weren't for his mother and how much she had loved him and how much he loved her, Drew would have said parents weren't a big deal. He drove the thought out of his head, not wanting to insult his mother's memory.

"This wasn't the first time I had heard something like this," Drew admitted. "But it was the first time I understood what she meant, what the other kids told me they had overheard their parents talking about. From that day, I vowed to never be like that. I promised myself that I wouldn't get married so I wouldn't hurt someone the way my mother was hurt."

"Your father was his own person and you are your own person. Just because he was one way, it doesn't mean you would be that way too."

"The sins of the father.." His voice trailed off.

"You can't possibly believe you would have turned out like him."

"But I did, don't you see? My father may have been married, but he was a womanizer. I had inherited that from him. The only difference is I didn't marry. Back home I bounced from girl to girl like it was nothing. When I moved here, I did the same thing. All I had to do was turn on the charm and give these women a smile and they were putty in my hands. I took that and I ran with it. I enjoyed it. It was my life and it has been until now."

"Playboy lifestyle," Mila muttered to herself. "Very much like Lana said."

"She was right about that," Drew admitted. "I won't deny it. I have the money. I've been told I have the looks. I had women from all over the world. Models, actresses, socialites, I was everywhere. So was my name. My exploits were in the social columns. People in my father's world of business knew who I was from that alone. I have quite the reputation. Of course, because I built this reputation for myself, no woman would ever take me seriously enough to marry. That was the way I wanted it. I didn't care."

Mila was at a loss for words. She had just been expecting him to use the excuse of being a trust fund baby and throwing that around to get any woman of his choice. Not that he would need very much to get their attention.

"That's why I've had so many flings and one night stands. Building a relationship and life with someone didn't matter to me. I'm better off this way. That way I don't hurt someone and they can't hurt me. That's why Sheamus mistook you for a one night stand. That's why Lana told you what she told you, she was wondering why anyone would agree to marry me knowing these things."

"What about those two serious relationships?"

"For a while I had fooled myself into thinking I could build a life with someone, but I couldn't. My eye started to wander, I got bored. I strayed a few times and of course and they found out. I didn't deny it. Neither of them liked that I had strayed and I became untrustworthy, so that ended and I went back to my old ways. I started partying again, finding the kind of women I liked and it just went downhill from there. My name and exploits were in the social columns again. I had been arrested for public intoxication. My antics put an even bigger strain on my relationship with my father. I know he was always worried about leaving the company in my hands."

"And he still did. Part of him had to know that you could run the business when he stepped down or passed on."

Drew shook his head. "He wanted the business to stay in the family, but not go to his brother. I was his only choice and this is why he put the codicil in his will. He thought I could learn something or he just wanted me to suffer for a while."

Mila got up from her lounger and went over to Drew. She straddled him, her legs folded back on either side of him. She kept her hands on his chest, her eyes on his.

"I think deep down you know that isn't true."

Drew took hold of her hips, holding her in place. "You can't say it isn't true. Not when you weren't there, not when you didn't know anyone involved."

"Living like this never bored you?"

"I'm a billionaire that could have any woman without any problems. The world is at my disposal."

"If you grew up the way I did, we'd be having a very different conversation right now."

"I didn't and here we are."

The way she saw him changed drastically. All this time she had thought he was a spoiled rich kid who grew up to be a spoiled rich man, but her judgment was incorrect. His family life didn't leave a healthy impression on how marriage and relationships worked. He just looked at the world as his playground and ran with it.

"Do you want to go inside?"

Mila shook her head. She lowered her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. The only thing she wanted to do right now was stay as they were, under the stars, his arms wrapped around her. All she wanted was to stay in this moment, so Drew would know she was by his side.

"I wish we met under different circumstances," Mila finally said.

"Why is that?"

"Maybe I could have helped you," Mila whispered, looking away from him. "I could have probably kept you from going through women like Pez."

Mila felt the laughter rumbling in his chest before it came from his mouth. She smiled. It was the first time the mood had felt light all night.

"I don't think anybody could have helped me."

She brought her lips up to his, giving him a chaste kiss. "I'm going to help you now," Mila whispered. "By the time I'm gone you're going to be thinking differently."

"Let's go inside."

Mila got off Drew and stood off to the side, waiting for him to get up. Drew took her hand in his and led her inside.

"We forgot the mugs," Mila suddenly remembered. "Go on without me, I'll be up in a few minutes."

Drew went up without her and she went outside to pick up their mugs. She picked them up and went back inside, making sure to the lock the door behind her. She quickly washed them and set them in the dish strainer to dry. Turning off the lights in the kitchen she went straight upstairs.

She found Drew sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her ring between his thumb and index finger, staring at it, but staring through it at the same time. She stepped further into the room, clearing her throat to catch his attention.

Drew looked over at her and smiled as he rose to his feet. He started walking towards her, the ring still in his hand. "I didn't do this properly the first time I asked you."

"Drew..."

He came to a stop in front of her and dropped down to one knee. He took her left hand and looked up at her. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes."

* * *

A/N: Do you think they'll be able to survive?


	10. Heart to Heart

Heart to Heart

Drew didn't want to head to the office today. Ever since their conversation the night before, all he wanted to do was spend more time with Mila and get to know her. Sure, he'd noticed things about her that he both liked and disliked, but he hadn't asked her any questions about herself and she hadn't been very forthcoming with information either. While he wanted her to stay with him, Drew couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that she may have decided to stay for the money he offered.

He took his phone off the nightstand and got out of bed, careful not to wake Mila. Drew closed the door behind him softly as he searched for Sheamus's name in his recent call log. He pushed on his name and brought the phone up to his ear, stepping away from the bedroom door as the phone rang.

Drew could hear childish laughter on the other end of the phone as Sheamus greeted him. It was after seven, he should have known he would be up with the kids.

"Uncle Drew is on the phone, Lizzy. Go play with your sister." He said, his laughter died down. "Don't wake your mother and brother!"

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded very much like his best friend, but the manner of speaking did not. Drew pulled the phone away from his ear, checking to see if he had called the right person.

"Drew, are you there, mate?"

"I'm here," Drew grumbled, leaning against the wall. "I won't be in the office today."

"Everything all right?"

"I just want to spend the day with Mila."

"Spend the day with her, sleep with her." Sheamus laughed. "What's the difference?"

"Just keep an eye on the place and don't hesitate to call me if there is an emergency or we hear from Cena."

"Aye, aye, captain."

Drew heard a loud crash on the other end of the phone and then a curse from Sheamus.

"Lizzy, what did I tell you about climbing on the counter?" He screamed. "Listen, I got to go before these kids kill themselves. I'll talk to you later."

The conversation ended abruptly. Drew dropped his phone on the hall table and went back to their bedroom, eager to feel Mila next to him again. Moments later, he was crawling into bed and pulling Mila into his arms, his face dipping into the crook of her neck, nuzzling.

"Mmm, there you are," Mila mumbled. "I woke up and found you gone. I thought you went off to work."

"I'm taking the day off," Drew whispered in her ear.

"I like that."

He gently ran his hand down her side while he gently nibbled on her ear. He couldn't help himself around her. Whenever she was near him all he wanted to do was drag his lips over every inch of her body, her fingernails dragging down his back.

"What can we do all day?" Mila teased with a smile on her lips. She opened her eyes and tilted her head back to look at him. "We could go somewhere, stay in bed all day..."

Drew lowered the blanket away from her, exposing her bare legs to him. He ran his hand down the side of her leg, feeling her smooth skin underneath his hand. He felt her shiver her against him. A contented sigh came from her as she pushed her back against his chest, her arm wrapping around his neck.

"Staying in bed all day sounds like a plan."

He ran the palm of his hand back up her leg. He reached her hip, his fingers now playing with her shorts for a moment before pushing them away from her hips. Mila lifted herself to help him lower her shorts down her legs, kicking them off when they reached her ankles.

Mila whimpered when she felt his fingers slide along her slit. Her teeth sank into her lower lip, trying to bite back a moan. She released a ragged breath.

Drew swiftly pulled his cock out and lifted her leg up, his fingers digging into her flesh to hold her leg in place as he entered inside of her. He grunted when he felt her pussy around his cock and her arm tightening around his neck.

They were breathing harder, grunting which each thrust. Mila gripped the sheets with her free hand, her lips parted as Drew pushed into her. Her arm tightened around his neck, her words coming out a jumbled mess between moans. His lips were on her neck, his teeth sinking into her skin, his groans coming out muffled.

His free hand wrapped around to the front of her neck, choking as his thrusts got harder. Mila's moans lower now, more breathy. Her arm was starting to loosen and her movements were starting to slow down. Her grip on the sheets came undone as her eyes rolled to the back of her head, a tingling feeling starting in her toes and shooting up through her body as her orgasm washed over her.

Drew's lips came down upon hers as he thrust inside her once more, bursting inside of her. His body shook against hers while he moaned into the kiss. He pulled out of her and turned on his back, staring up at the ceiling while he was catching his breath. Mila laid next to him, her chest rising and falling heavily.

"Fuck," Mila breathed out. "If we keep this up all day, you're going to need to take another day off work."

He turned on his side, propping himself up on his elbow to look down at her. He searched her face for any dishonesty, but all he found was a woman in a state of euphoria.

"Start getting ready," Drew said instead. "I know what we can do."

* * *

Mila sat back in her chair, her eyes on Drew. He had been unusually quiet since they had left the art museum. She tilted her head to the side, trying to study his body language. He was sitting forward, his hands templed under his chin, but his eyes were shifted elsewhere. Every now and then he would look over at Mila, open his mouth to stay something, but then change his mind and look away from her.

"Out with it."

Drew scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion, his eyes narrowing. His hands dropped down to his lap and he sat back in the chair, looking away from Mila again, watching a group a people pass them.

"Out with what?"

"There's something bothering you, isn't there?" She asked, leaning forward and resting her arms on the table. "You haven't said very much since we left the house."

He nervously laughed. "I can't keep anything away from you, can I?"

Mila shook her head. "What is it, Drew? Whatever it is, just ask me."

"Let me pay the bill and we can go," Drew said as he waved the waiter over. "I think we need to be somewhere a little more private."

After paying their bill, they left the restaurant hand in hand. Every now and then Drew would gently squeeze her hand, reassuring her that everything was fine. He knew she was nervous by the way she was squeezing his hand.

"It's nothing to be worried about," Drew reassured her as they walked to the car. "I just want to get to know you better."

She nodded her head in understanding. It was only fair that she answer whatever questions he may have had. He did the same for her after all, even if it did take a little pestering on her end.

"Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you."

After Drew pulled onto the road, he reached over the console and intertwined his fingers with Mila's, gently squeezing her hand. He glanced at her for a moment, softly smiling before focusing on the road again. His thumb was now gently stroking the back of her hand.

"Thank you for changing your mind and going through with this." Drew finally said instead. "I really don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably use your hand."

Drew rose an eyebrow, glancing at her again. "If I recall, you were just as willing. What was that in the shower this morning?"

"Don't like it?"

"I'm not complaining." Drew laughed. "Just pointing out you're just as guilty."

Mila shrugged, unable to deny what he was saying. "I think it goes without saying you're irresistible to women."

Drew kissed the back of her hand. "You're the only one that matters now."

The way his words came out made her shiver. It did have a romantic undertone. His profile wasn't giving her much to work with. He was either too focused on the road or didn't think about how his words came out. She had to mentally calm herself down, remind herself that he may have meant it in some platonic way if that made any sense.

"If I didn't know any better I'd think you were trying to get me into bed again."

Drew smirked. "Maybe the dining room table."

Mila took her seatbelt off and leaned over the console, bringing her lips to his ear, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Maybe somewhere that isn't too cliché."

From the corner of his eye, Drew could see Mila settling in the passenger seat again, satisfied with herself. He rubbed his lips together and gripped the steering wheel, speeding the rest of the way home.

* * *

They were sweaty. Her skin was sticky from the chocolate syrup Drew licked off her. Their breathing was heavy and their limbs were intertwined as Drew thrust into Mila. She held onto the edge of the counter, pleading with Drew to go harder. Mila threw her head back, moaning loudly.

"Please, Drew, don't stop."

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, grunting with each thrust into her. He tasted her on his lips, on his tongue. The sounds of her whimpers sent him into overdrive. She was tightening around him and he could feel his own orgasm starting to build.

Her lips came down onto his as this came together, their bodies shuddering with pleasure.

"Challenge accepted."

Mila let out a small laugh as she lowered her feet to the floor. "I need to shower. I'm all sticky from the chocolate syrup and sweat."

"I'll join you," Drew whispered.

"Mmm as great as that sounds, no." Mila put a hand on his chest to stop him. "At the rate, we're going, we'll end up with that baby we don't need."

"I can't get enough of you."

She pushed herself against him, her hands laying flat on his chest, an impish smile on her lips. "Sometimes we gotta know when to walk away."

With that, she pulled away from him and left him standing naked in the middle of the kitchen.

* * *

"You threw that wooden spoon out, right?" Mila asked as she reached for one.

"I had too." Drew shrugged. "We can't use it for anything after what we did with it."

Mila chuckled as she pulled a wooden spoon out of the canister and started stirring the rice.

"You cleaned the counter right?"

"Yes, Drew." She looked over her shoulder while continuing to stir. "Maybe no more sex in the kitchen, yeah?"

"Hey, you're the one that wanted to fuck in a not so cliché place." Drew reminded her as he cut the cucumber. "The kitchen seemed like a good idea. As I recall, you weren't complaining."

"Keep doing what you're doing and there will never be complaints, Casanova."

She turned the stove off and set the wooden spoon on the counter. She put the lid on the pot and then went over to Drew, leaning against the counter as he prepared the salad. Her arms folded across her chest as she stared up at him.

"Rice is done. Chicken is almost ready." Mila broke the silence. "Is the salad almost done?"

"I'm not a cook."

"Making a salad isn't cooking, Richie Rich." She teased. "How have you eaten up until now?"

"When I was a kid it was either the cook we had or my mom. When I moved to Miami, I had my own cook."

"Where was this cook when we were there?"

"I had let him go since I knew I'd be living here." Drew shrugged. "I was going to hire someone for us, but since it's the two of us and you like doing this sort of stuff, I figured we can do this together."

"That's very sweet."

"I want to spend as much time with you as possible, get to know you." He looked over at her. "Even if this is a sham marriage, we can still be friends at least, right?"

"Right."

Mila pushed herself off the counter and walked to the cabinet straight ahead. She pulled out the dinner plates and silverware, setting out to set the table for them.

"What made you want to learn to cook?"

"It looked like fun and as my grandparents got older I wanted to help out as much as I can," Mila said as she laid the plates down on the table. "It was also a good way to spend more time with my grandparents, apologize for my earlier pesky teen years. My mom died when I was thirteen, so I wasn't really easy to be around. I didn't know how to handle my grief. I wasn't easy to live with."

"Your way of apologizing was to learn to cook?"

"Well, it was more of a form of punishment at first," Mila admitted. "But I grew to love it."

"Somehow you went out to L.A. to become an actress, not a celebrity chef?" Drew teased, bringing the salad bowl to the table.

"Being in another world was always fun for me, being someone else, writing my own stories, reading other people's stories. I was active in drama in high school, both school plays and my real life problems taking shape. It was all fun, with the exception of my social life going to shit."

"You don't seem like the type to be a problem child."

She laid the forks and knives down next to their plates and then walked over to the stove, picking up the pot of rice. She laughed a little at something she remembered before putting the pot in the center of the table.

"Sneaking out of the house, underage drinking, secret boyfriends." Mila rattled off. "Stereotypical teenage crap. I drove my grandparents up the wall. I can't even count on both hands how many times I was caught sneaking back into the house, drunk and reeking of smoke. Sometimes I can still hear my grandfather screaming at the top of his lungs, my ears ringing when he was done."

"Secret boyfriends?" Drew laughed.

"It saved me the embarrassment of bringing them home and introducing them to my grandparents."

"How many of these secret boyfriends were there?"

"I had a few dates here and there that led nowhere and if they did it was a one-time thing." Mila pulled the chicken out of the oven and brought it over to the table. "From the age of sixteen all the way until now I've had about three serious relationships."

With a bottle of red wine in one hand, Drew grabbed two wine glasses from the cabinet and met Mila at the table. "That's it?"

"This coming from the man who had two relationships?" She muttered as she sat down. "Yeah, three. My first serious boyfriend was when I sixteen, his name was Dean and we were together for two years. We broke up sometime before he when he moved."

Drew didn't miss the smile on her face and the dreamy look in her eye. "Sounds like you miss him."

"I do," Mila admitted as she filled Drew's plate. "A girl never forgets her first love."

"Yeah?"

Mila had to hold back her laughter to keep from embarrassing Drew. It was cute in an odd way; he was jealous of a boyfriend she had twelve years ago.

"I know it's a difficult concept for you to grasp, being afraid of commitment and all." Mila joked, playfully nudging his foot with hers. "But I did love him. We had fun together, a lot in common. He made me happy. I mean, he was my first..."

"Kiss?"

Mila shook her head.

"Ohhhh." Drew drawled out when he realized what she was implying. "At sixteen?"

"What's the big deal? I was ready and I loved him." Mila picked up her wine glass, swirling it around before taking a sip. "If I were a guy it wouldn't be a big deal. How old were you?"

Drew muttered his response. Mila tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned forward as if straining to hear him.

"What was that? I didn't quite hear you."

"Sixteen." He said a little louder.

"Are you kidding me? You were the same age as I was and _you're_ giving me grief?" She laughed, incredulous.

"I know what sixteen-year-old boys want. I was one and they're up to no good."

"You're still up to no good." Mila snorted.

"This is why your grandmother wanted to teach you to cook, to keep you from getting taken advantage of."

Mila almost choked on her chicken. "What was I supposed to do, churn butter in the backyard as the good Lord intended?"

"It's just something that adults do."

"And you were an adult at sixteen?" Mila asked, her eyebrow raised. "You were a mature adult at sixteen and knew how to handle the complexities of a sexual relationship? Let's call a spade, a spade, you're jealous about a boyfriend I haven't seen in over a decade. I didn't exactly come to you a virgin, Drew."

"I'm not jealous," Drew muttered then focused on eating his dinner. "I'm just concerned."

Mila shook her head. "I was fully capable of taking care of myself back then and I can do it now."

He held up his hands in surrender. "All right, noted. What about the rest?"

If Drew hadn't known she was opinionated, stubborn, and independent before, he knew it now. His lips were twitching, itching to stretch into a smile. He had to appreciate and admire the fact that she could think for herself. She was truly different from the women he usually went for.

"I dated casually after Dean and I broke up, nothing serious. I was twenty when I started casually dating a tattoo artist named Corey. He was a little older than I was, but as we got to know each other we hit it off and started seeing each other seriously. We got hot and heavy to the point where we moved in together. That was a relationship that went from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye."

"How long were you together?"

"Four years. We broke up when I decided to make the move to California." Mila replied, pushing her chicken around on her plate. "He really settled into our life. He wanted to get married, have kids, the whole nine yards. I was twenty-four, I was feeling restless and wasn't willing to set down roots. I felt like something was missing."

"You broke up and moved out to the west coast?"

"We split amicably. I moved out of his apartment and went straight for L.A."

"Did you have any acting experience before you moved out there?"

Mila nodded as she drank some more wine. "I graduated from Columbia with a double major in theater and journalism. I worked in school productions and after I graduated I did local theater projects."

"You wound up working in cosmetics in a department store?"

"The stars weren't aligned. I guess I wasn't as good an actress as I thought I was." She shrugged. "It happens. I didn't choose an easy profession and I know it takes time, but after four years, I think it's time I hang up the Hollywood dreams of a glamorous life. Makeup artistry wound up being a good thing. It kept me off the streets and fed me. Between working at the store and doing side jobs here and there I was able to scrape out some kind of living. Looking back at the experiences I had over the last four years, I wouldn't change a single moment."

Drew couldn't help but smile. "Sounds like you have no regrets."

"Maybe one or two here and there, but not very many."

"Name one."

"Since you're trying to find out about my love life without directly asking me, I'll tell you about the last serious relationship." Mila laughed. "I always think back to _A Bronx Tale_ where Sonny tells C about the three great ones. I thought I rounded out the three great ones with the last relationship and I've all but given up on men." Mila paused for a moment, pursing her lips while in thought. "Well, dating one seriously, at least."

Mila got up and started picking up the dirty dishes. Drew followed suit, not sure if he should ask her any more questions about herself. She seemed fine until she mentioned her last relationship.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She dropped the dirty dishes in the sink and turned around to face him, tears welling in her eyes. A lot had happened in her life that left her questioning some of the decisions that she had made. When she first moved, regret had started sinking in until she was able to find a job and move out of her car. While her first living situation wasn't the greatest, it was better than sleeping in the back seat of her Toyota in an empty parking lot. A roach-infested basement apartment was better than nothing. When she was feeling at her lowest, she met Kenny Omega, a comic book writer. Somehow, he made things better. He helped her find a better job. Through his friends, she was able to find her apartment she had been living in until she met Drew. She fell hard for Kenny and every fiber of her wishing she hadn't.

Drew set the pot down on the counter behind her and hugged Mila to him. He gently ran his hand up and down her back as she held onto him, her face buried in his chest.

"You don't have to tell me about him." Drew felt himself growing angry at a man he'd never met. "Not if just thinking about him causes this much pain."

Mila pulled her head off his chest, wiping her tears away. She sniffled before pulling away from Drew entirely, her back now facing him as she opened the dishwasher, pulling the drawer out. Wordlessly, she started rinsing the dirty dishes and loading them.

"We broke up last December," Mila muttered to herself. "You'd think I'd be over it by now. It's been nearly six months. I know I said I don't regret moving to L.A. now, but there came a time a few months after moving out there that I did regret it. I was living in my car until I was able to find a job. I wound up living in some ratty basement apartment infested with roaches. Compared to where I was before, this place was a fucking palace."

Drew watched as she rinsed a dish and loaded into the dishwasher. She kept her back to him, her voice shaking as she spoke. Every now and then her shoulders would gently shake as she silently cried.

Mila sucked in a breath and continued. "In the meantime, I had just met Baron and we decided to go to the beach. We were just hanging out when Kenny approached us, introducing himself to me. I don't know why, but we just clicked automatically. Maybe it was the artistic connection between us, I don't know, but we just hit it off. He was very sweet and funny. He asked me out and we had our first date a couple of days later. By the end of that date, we were smitten with each other."

She turned the water off and opened the cabinet underneath the sink and pulled out the dishwasher detergent, pouring it into the designated slot. She closed the door and started up the dishwasher, finally turning around to face Drew.

"You don't need to tell me any more."

"I haven't really told anyone the real reason why we broke up. I just gave my friends a fake excuse because I was too embarrassed to admit what really happened. Maybe it was an ego thing. By the end, I just felt so stupid. Maybe it's good to talk about this with someone who doesn't know me."

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Drew led her out of the kitchen and into the living room. They sat down on the couch with Mila snuggling into his side, staring at the blank television screen.

"We met at a time when I was vulnerable. I was struggling to make ends meet, I was dying to find a new place to live and a better job. I was getting auditions, but not very many callbacks. Kenny and I got to know each other, he found out about my situation and like a knight in shining armor, he saved me."

Drew was trying to hold his snort back as she continued her tale. He didn't like where this was heading.

"Thinking about this now, I was vulnerable and on the rebound. I had just ended a four-year relationship. I was on my own, no family around, no familiar faces. I was just getting to know Baron after having no social life the first couple of months there. Together we struggled and boom, Kenny comes out of nowhere. He helped me. Having him in my life and finally finding some sort of stability at that time made me feel great. We got together fast and _I_ fell fast. He helped me find an apartment. A friend of his owned the complex I was living in when you and I met. His friend's wife was working as a counter manager at the store. Anything I had at that point was with his help."

Listening to her story unfold, Drew realized they were similar in a way. He found a way to avoid commitment at any cost and the second a deeper commitment sniffed around her relationships, Mila was ready to leave. Her bags were packed and she had an entirely different idea for her life in mind. This Kenny guy found Mila at a vulnerable time in her life, seemingly by accident and helped her. Easily enough, she had held him in higher regard, making their end tougher for her to cope with. She was looking for love and comfort in any place that she could.

"Things were great for the longest time. We were together for a majority of the time I was out there. When we first started dating, I thought Kenny was just a rebound. But as years went by and we were still together, that thought went away. Six months before we broke up, he started distancing himself from me. He was acting cold, more aloof. We were fighting more than we ever had and I still didn't see the signs. I still loved him. I was so blinded by him and all that he had done and the love I felt, that I never noticed."

"Do you want a drink?"

"No." Mila laughed. She shifted so that her head was resting in his lap, her eyes now looking up into his. "Thank you for listening to me babble."

"You're not babbling." He whispered. "I want to know things about you. I've learned more about you in the last couple of hours than I've ever learned about a woman."

"See what happens when aren't just looking to get into someone's pants?" Mila's giggle died down as she turned serious again. "I told my friends we had broken up because Kenny was moving to Japan and that a long distance relationship wouldn't work in our favor."

"What really happened?"

"I caught him cheating. It had apparently been going on for a year. Between work and auditions and his work, I hardly noticed. When we started drifting, I didn't think very much about it until his attitude started to change. One day, I stopped by his house unexpectedly and found him in bed with someone else. Words were said, tears were shed and then we were done. I felt so stupid for not noticing what was going on under my nose. If my friends knew I was lying, they didn't tell me. Everything that I had, my apartment, my job was because of him. I hated the idea of going to work and I can't even count on my hands how many times I wanted to torch my apartment. Anything to make me feel better."

"How come you didn't move out of the building?"

"His friend sold the building and it was under new management. I redecorated my apartment in hopes of wiping away any traces of him. I just kept the job while I was searching for another one. Then we met and here we are."

"I'm glad I found you."

Mila scrunched her brows together in confusion.

"I can help you too."

"How so?"

"I was really worried when you said you were going to leave. I felt everything slipping through my fingers. Then we talked last night and I felt closer to you. It's why I wanted to spend the day with you. I wanted to be closer with you, but I had the nagging feeling that you were only staying for the money..."

Mila quickly sat up, turning her body to face Drew. "I'll admit that's what it was in the beginning. It was the money. We both knew that going in. We both understood that we were each getting something from this bargain. That doesn't matter to me anymore. I want to help you. More for you and your unhealthy views on relationships. By the time I leave, I want you to feel something for a woman other than an erection."

Drew couldn't help but laugh. "I'm going to help you too. You love too hard and too fast. You need to be careful. There are a lot of people out there that will want to hurt you. I want you to know what to look for, what to keep in mind. You lucked out in finding me."

"Great." Mila teased. "You'll have a heart and I won't."

They fell silent for a moment, her last words hanging in the air. They stared at each other, unable to look away from each other. In the last twenty-four hours, they had learned so much about each other. It was as if they were seeing each other for the first time.

Drew cupped her cheek, slowly leaning in towards her. "You're so much better than what I deserve. In front of my very eyes, I have a beautiful soul looking for the good in everything around her. Even when I think she can't find any good in me, she accepts the challenge. She's stubborn, strong, and willful."

Their lips were centimeters away from each other when Mila finally spoke, "Don't fall in love with me."

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Thank you for reading and reviewing! Merry Christmas!


	11. Going to the Chapel

Going to the Chapel

The hall had been booked. The invitations had gone out. The day was finally here.

Mila almost didn't recognize the image she saw in the mirror. Her hair was done in a high bun, her diamond tiara was in place, the diamonds glittering in the light. The veil cascaded down her shoulders. Her makeup was done to perfection. Her skin bronzed and shined. Her lips were a nude pink. The makeup artist had suggested red, but she fought against it, knowing it would get smudged after the ceremony.

"You look beautiful," Paige said, coming up next to her. "I don't think I've ever seen you like this."

"You mean in white?" Mila laughed.

The lace sleeves of her dress clung to her. The sweetheart neckline clung to her body and started to flare out into a mermaid tail mid-thigh. The skirt of the dress was transparent, making her legs visible in the light. The back of the dress was white mesh with buttons going down the back.

She ran her hands down her sides, admiring how it clung to her like a second skin. As nervous as she felt, Mila couldn't help but admire how well the dress fit.

"White may be stretching it a bit, huh?" Paige teased. "I can't get over you like this."

Mila turned her back toward the mirror, looking over her shoulder to see if all the buttons were done. She knew they were. Lana made sure they were secure before she stepped out to check on Drew and the boys.

"I think your hubby is going to have a hard time getting you out of that."

Mila looked away from the mirror and over at Naomi coming in through the door. She softly closed the door behind her and then crossed the room. She took both of Mila's hands in hers and held them out and she looked her friend over.

"I can't believe I'm actually seeing you in a wedding dress!" Naomi exclaimed. "You look beautiful."

"I'm fucking nervous," Mila admitted. "I can't believe it's finally my wedding. People spend months and months preparing for this and we did it all in a few weeks."

"I felt the same way at my wedding," Naomi reassured her. "What you're feeling is completely normal and it will go away as soon as you're at the altar. Once you lock your eyes on Drew, the nerves will melt away and it will just be you guys out there."

The bride blew out a nervous breath as she wrung her hands. Her wedding was today, her _first_ wedding was today. She always thought if she ever got married, it would be the _one_ time. She swung her eyes over to her friends to see them smiling reassuringly at her. All she could do was flash a weak smile at them as she nodded her head.

"It's time to get started." Lana smiled as she walked into the room, softly shutting the door behind her. "Are you ready, Mila?"

She tried to swallow back the lump in her throat before speaking. They were committing fraud and nobody around her seemed to sense it. While she knew those around were apprehensive about their story, everyone believed it. If they were caught, could they go to jail? Would Drew lose his inheritance? Who would it go to in the event that he did? Drew never mentioned if he knew, though he was hellbent on hanging onto it.

"Yes."

"You're as nervous as the tall bald guy standing outside the door."

Mila let out a small laugh, the first time she had laughed since she had woken up that morning. Baron had been just as nervous as she was. He hardly left her side the last couple of days. He never uttered a word, but Mila could tell that he was sizing up Drew, looking for any flaws or weaknesses.

"Has he been out there the entire time?" She asked, looking at the three women in the suite with her.

"He's been guarding the door." Lana laughed. "I'm almost positive he made Sheamus and Rusev uncomfortable anytime they walked by. He's quite an imposing figure."

"Of course he is," Mila muttered. "I'm surprised he hasn't moved out here to keep an eye on me."

Paige laughed. "If anyone would do that, it would be him."

Naomi walked over to the couch and picked up Mila's bouquet. "If he ever shows up on your front step unexpectedly, you'll know he uprooted to be close to you. He's been nervous since you told us about your engagement. With the way he was behaving, you'd think it was his wedding, not yours."

"I bet you're rethinking having Baron walk you down the aisle." Paige teased.

Mila took the bouquet from Naomi as she shook her head. "He's such a goof. I'm surprised he didn't ask to be my maid of honor."

Lana laughed. "He's just looking out for you."

"That he is." She sighed as Lana pulled the veil over her face. "All right, ladies. Let's get this started."

Mila followed her friends out of the bridal suite. They went ahead and she stopped in the hallway, looking over at Baron. With a sheepish smile on his face, he walked over to her and held out his arm for her. She threaded her arm through his and they walked towards the church doors.

Paige and Sheamus walked in ahead of them. The doors quickly closed to keep Mila out of view. Suddenly the music stopped and changed to _Here Comes the Bride._ Baron looked down at Mila and smiled.

"Are you ready, babe?"

She glanced up at Baron and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."

The doors opened and they walked through. Mila kept her eyes straight ahead, focusing on Drew. Her lips turned up into a smile when she looked at him. She had never seen him look more handsome. His hair was down, his beard trimmed. He wore his dress shirt with a blazer over it and his kilt. The smile on his face as he watched her walk down the aisle to him made her feel at ease, reminding her she wasn't alone.

Baron and Mila climbed the steps to him. He let her arm go and watched as she turned to stand in front of Drew. He took a step back, unable to take his eyes off them. When Drew had her veil lifted and pushed back, Baron stepped away, waiting at the bottom of the three steps, for his next part.

"You look beautiful," Drew whispered.

"You don't look so bad yourself." She whispered back, unable to rid herself of her smile.

The priest stepped up to the couple, looking out at everyone. "Who here gives this woman to this man?"

Baron walked up, forcing a smile. "I do."

He stepped back down and took his seat in the front pew. He really hoped this is what she wanted.

* * *

When they got in the limo, Drew laced his hand with Mila's hand. "Finally alone."

Mila looked down at her left hand, her ring finger suddenly heavy with the weight of her engagement ring _and_ wedding band. She laid her head on Drew's shoulder, letting out a small sigh.

"For how long?"

"We could ditch the reception," Drew smirked.

"I think everyone is going to notice when we don't show up."

"I just can't wait to rip that dress off you."

Mila tilted her head up to look at him, batting her eyelashes and she smiled up at him. "Baby, you rip my dress off I'm going to blacken your eye."

"Starting the foreplay already, huh, Mrs. McIntyre?"

"Mrs. McIntyre?" She repeated, then clicked her tongue. "That sounds weird to hear."

"Get used to it. It means a lot here."

"Are you sure you aren't a mob boss using real estate development as your cover?"

Drew laughed. "No, I'm not. I'm a former playboy who became an honest man."

Mila lifted her head off his shoulder and laughed. "How honest?"

"Honest enough that I know I only want you."

They locked eyes for a moment before Mila looked out the window, taken off guard by his sudden admission. She tried to ignore her quickened heartbeat. She nervously twisted her rings around her finger.

"Oh really?"

He glanced at her before getting up and filling them champagne. He handed Mila her glass and then sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Drinking some of his champagne, he lowered his lips to her ear.

"I don't want anyone else." He whispered. "I like you, Mila. I've told you that. Nothing has changed."

His warm breath against her ear made her shiver. Her eyes closed as she took in a deep breath and slowly released it, trying to ignore the effect he was having on her. With his voice so dangerously low and his accent irresistible, she couldn't help but shiver. All she wanted was him.

Mila drank some more of her champagne in an effort to distract herself from the effect her husband was having on her. They were on their way to their reception and all she could think of was how his lips and hands would feel all over her. She jumped slightly when his hand rested on her thigh. The palm of his hand gently moved up her thigh over the lace of her dress.

"You're playing dirty, Mr. McIntyre."

"Mmm, I like hearing that from you." He whispered. His hand was moving up further, the lace now starting to bunch up. "Wait till I get you alone."

Her grip on her champagne glass tightened in an effort to try keep herself calm. Her lips trembled with every breath she took. She kept her gaze straight ahead, taking great care to avoid looking at him. One look at him and she knew it was game over for her.

"Drew," she breathed out.

The limo came to a stop and her eyes jolted open. She looked at her husband to see the impish glint in his eyes. He held up his champagne glass in a mock cheer before drinking what was left and tossing it aside.

"There's something for both of us to look forward to. Me inside of you and you screaming my name." Drew smiled at her.

She watched him open the door and get out. She heard her door open and turned to see Drew standing outside waiting for. Accepting his hand, she stepped out and together they walked into the banquet hall. They went directly to the suite.

As soon as the door was closed, Mila closed the space between them and stood on her tip toes. She brought a hand to the back of his neck, pushing his lips down to hers. Her body melted into his when he pulled her against him, his arms snaked around her waist. He deepened the kiss, unable to control himself.

Nobody ever had the effect on him that she did.

* * *

Drew held her close to him as he introduced her to his colleagues and acquaintances. He kept his arm around her waist for every introduction. She smiled and greeted everyone with such poise, Drew was wondering how she was faking it so well. After the hundredth couple that approached them, he was getting sick of these people.

"You're doing great." He whispered as he walked her onto the dance floor. He held onto her hips as they slowly swayed to the music. Her arms were around his neck, her body nearly pushed up against his. "Thank you for doing this."

Mila smiled up at him. From the corner of her eye, she could see that all eyes were on them. "I love you."

Drew's hands squeezed her hips tighter, his nerves getting the best of him. Was she being serious? Did she just say that because everyone is around and they're supposed to be a couple in love? There was a glint her eyes that he couldn't quite read. Her smile was radiant, her skin glowing, she looked legitimately happy. He would need to ask her later. Drew returned her smile, trying to hide his confusion before leaning down and gently pressing his lips to hers. "I love you, too."

The music stopped and the newlyweds walked off the dance floor, smiling at the guests they passed on the floor. They found Sheamus and Rusev talking to Baron and Jey, deep in conversation. When they approached, their conversation came to an end. Sheamus and Rusev said they were going to the bar, Drew followed. Jey went to go dance with his date, leaving Baron and Mila alone.

"You're officially a missus." He teased. "How does it feel?"

"Weird, if I'm being honest. I never thought this would happen and when it did, it felt like the day was forever away. It felt like I had all the time in the world."

Baron pulled out a seat for her, helping her with her dress. Before he took a seat himself, he grabbed two glasses of champagne from a waiter passing by, then sat down by her. He handed her her glass.

"I hope you're happy with him," Baron said, looking across the room.

"I am," Mila said, bringing her glass to her lips. "Nobody has ever made me feel the way he does."

"How's that?" He asked, now looking at Mila.

"Like I matter. He makes me feel like I'm loved." Mila said, now staring at Drew from across the hall. "He doesn't laugh at my anxieties, he helps me through them. On our way here from Miami, he held my hand and kept my mind off of take off. Drew knows I'm a mess, but he still wanted to marry me. Whenever I see him when he gets home from work or when I wake up next to him, the butterflies fly around my stomach. I feel good knowing we're going to grow old together."

Baron rose an eyebrow and followed her gaze. He looked at Drew, unable to believe her. From the little he knew of Drew and the little he had learned about him, he couldn't help but be worried. Mila was too good for him. Fine if they had a physical attraction to each other, but you don't build an entire life around that.

"All that matters to me is that you're happy." Baron looked at her again. "If you ever need anything, call me. If you need me to be here, I'll be on the first flight out."

"Thank you."

From across the room and over the music Mila and Baron could hear Drew's laughter. He was finishing drinks as fast as he was getting them. Mila worried about him, he had been drinking nonstop since the reception started.

"Are you all right?" Baron asked, concerned.

"I'm fine." She tried to hold back her frustration before focusing on Baron again. "Nattie really decided not to come, huh?"

She was trying very hard to ignore Drew at the moment. Even without having to look over at him, she knew he was drinking heavily. It didn't help matters that Sheamus and Rusev were egging him on and joining in.

"She was really upset about the engagement and wedding," Baron admitted. "We all tried convincing her to come, but it was to no avail. She refused to come because she thought you were throwing your life away and she couldn't support that."

"Why not tell me that then?" Mila sighed. "She could have answered my calls and my texts. I'd hate to lose Nattie as a friend over something so stupid."

It was on the tip of Baron's tongue to tell her partly agreed with Nattie, but he swallowed the words back. It was Mila's life and if she was happy, then Baron was going to be happy for her. He wasn't going to make her feel bad and lose his closest friend.

"I don't know. I can't make any excuses for her. Maybe she'll come around one day."

"She was the last person I'd think would react like this."

"Don't drive yourself crazy," Baron advised. "Not everyone is going to have the same relationship and romance. Some develop slowly, some fast. It's different for everyone. Don't let her reaction take away from how you feel. If she were a good friend, she would have put her feelings aside and been here for you."

Mila nudged him with her elbow, giggling. "Is this the same friend that was throwing up with me in an alley? When did you get so wise?"

"I had good friends."

Mila just happened to look across the banquet hall to see that Sheamus and Rusev had gone off somewhere else, but Drew remained. He was leaning against the bar, his forearm resting against the marble, but he wasn't alone. He was speaking to a pretty brunette, both of them laughing at something. She nudged him on the chest with a small hand while Drew just smirked, pushing back a strand of her hair. It took every ounce of energy Mila had to not roll her eyes and call him a dumbass out loud. Was he really doing this now, right in front of everyone?

"Baron, can you excuse me a moment?"

He nodded. He knew when Mila was on the prowl not to get in the way. He watched her scoot her chair back, gather up her dress and get up. With her shoulders back and head up high, Mila walked over to the bar with a purpose.

"It's my wife!" Drew exclaimed when Mila came up next to him. "Honey, I'd like you to meet Zelina Vega. She's here with a colleague of mine."

The smile from Zelina's changed from happy to nervous as they locked eyes briefly. She looked at Drew, hoping for some kind of reprieve, but he fell silent.

She was aware that a lot of eyes were on them, waiting for Drew to say something or waiting for Mila to go mad in front of everybody. Mila fought back the urge to laugh as she slipped into her angry-mortified wife role. She relaxed the muscles in her face, glaring at the woman before her, feeling bad for typical jealous wife act she was slipping into. Extending her hand towards Zelina, Mila introduced herself.

"Congratulations. You're a beautiful bride."

"Thank you, Selena."

"Ze-lina. With a Z."

"My apologies. Thank you, _Zelina_. I'm glad you could make it to our wedding. Please, enjoy yourself." Mila intertwined her fingers with Drew's as she spoke. "I hate to be rude, but I need to steal Drew for just a moment."

"Thanks for coming," Drew said as Mila led him away.

Her eyes stayed on the floor, memorizing the pattern of the carpet as she led Drew out of the ballroom and into the hallway. She let go of Drew's hand and pushed the door open, walking ahead. The door closed on him and she could hear him curse as the door collided with his face. Again, she swallowed back her laughter, realizing that may have been a little much.

"What," Drew hiccuped, "is the matter with you?"

Her dress made a whooshing sound as she whipped around to face him, her lips twitching with the need to laugh. She rubbed her lips together, tilting her head to the side, suddenly aware of his appearance. His suit jacket was off and tossed over a chair somewhere in the ballroom. The first couple of buttons were undone on his dress shirt. His cheeks were red and his eyes bloodshot. Drew stared at her, swaying side to side a bit as he wondered why she had pulled him out into the hallway. Seeing him this way was beginning to worry her. Was he aware of what was going on around him anymore?

She looked away from him, her face softening when she saw Paige and Naomi coming out of the bathroom, their concern evident by their facial expressions. Mila shook her head, silently telling them to stay where they were. They had to get to the bridal suite where they could talk in private.

"Come with me."

Turning on her heel, Mila started for the bridal suite. She looked over her shoulder to see Drew following her, slightly stumbling, a hand running through his hair. She waited for him to catch up to her, lacing her arm through his when was close enough. Together they made it to the room with Mila making a pitiful attempt to hold him upright as they walked.

Drew tugged his arm away from hers and stumbled over to the couch, heavily plopping down onto it. He laid his head against the back of the couch, his eyes closed for so long she thought he had fallen asleep. Mila watched him for a moment before walking to him and leaning down to rest a hand on the side of his face.

"Are you all right?" She whispered, caressing his cheek.

"I'm fine," Drew mumbled, pushing her hand away. "Why did you drag me in here?"

"Just to tell you that you're a moron."

Drew opened his eyes and looked up into hers, confused. "What? Why?"

Mila looked over her shoulder to be sure they were alone. It would be fairly awkward if someone walked in and heard what she was about to say.

"I get that we have a business deal going on here," Mila whispered when she looked upon him again. "I understand that this is a marriage in name only, but fucking pull yourself together. You can't flirt with other women and be a whore...on your wedding day of all days! Nip it in the bud. When the two years are up, if I haven't helped you in any way, you may resume your duties in your normal manner."

This was the most amusing thing to happen to her today. All she wanted to do was bust out laughing over the entire thing. Of course, there would be faux drama at her wedding.

"We've been married for a few hours and you're already nagging." Drew groaned. "That has got to be some kind of record."

"You're fucking ridiculous, do you know that?" Mila laughed, her head shaking from side to side. "I'm doing this to help your money hungry ass, just be careful is all I'm saying. You're going to blow our cover."

"I did nothing wrong. I was simply having a conversation with someone."

Mila should have known he wouldn't understand what she was saying. He was so far gone it amazed her that he remembered who she was, never mind that they are married. She laughed at the thought before relaxing her face.

"That was not a conversation, Drew. It was pretty heavy flirting that was one whiskey away from turning into an invitation home. All I'm saying is cool it, all right?"

"Ridiculous." Drew scoffed. "You're getting worked up over nothing!"

She held up her left hand, pointing to her ring finger. Her engagement ring and wedding band in plain view. "Look at me, look at my hand. This means that we _are_ married. My friends and your friends believe this is a real marriage and we need to act like it. Behind closed doors, this doesn't matter, but outside of your house, we need to act like it matters. All right? Just try sober up before coming back out into the ballroom and we'll try salvage the night."

As the words were spoken and thrown out into the universe, Mila knew that night had been ruined and it's all anyone was going to talk about and ask her about.

"I wasn't doing anything. I had a drink, she came over and we started talking."

"It's fine, Drew." Mila finally relented. "Just try to take a moment to yourself."

Mila looked down at him, frowning, knowing she was going to have a harder time with him than she thought. She left him alone, making a mental note to remind him of all this in the morning. In his current state, Drew thought she really was angry at him.

Mila stepped out into the hallway, sighing. This was going to be a long two years.

* * *

A/N: They're finally married! I hope you enjoyed! Happy New Year!


	12. The Newlyweds

_The Newlyweds_

Baron was the first person to approach Mila she when entered the ballroom. He took her by the elbow, pulling her into the corner. He could feel his fingers trembling with the need to punch Drew in the mouth.

"Are you all right?"

Mila almost forgot she had to pretend to be upset and humiliated. She looked at the remaining guests, some of them doing their own thing, while others stared. Looking up at Baron, Mila weakly smiled, hoping she looked upset to him.

"I'm fine." She finally responded. "He's fine."

"I don't care about him." Baron seethed. "I want to rip his beating heart out of his chest."

"It was nothing, Baron. Please, just calm down. There's been enough excitement for one day."

"Come home with me, please. We'll get you on my flight home. You can live with me until you find a job and another place to live. We'll make it work. Just come back home with me."

Smiling up at him, she shook her head. "It's fine. This was nothing."

"How do you know it's nothing? You decided to get married after one date. You don't know anything about each other."

"We know enough about each other." Mila tried to reassure him. "I don't know, Baron. He just makes me feel a way I've never felt before."

Baron held onto his stomach, unable to keep his face from contorting into disgust. "All right, stop. If you keep talking you're going to make me vomit."

Mila couldn't help but laugh, gently nudging Baron. "I promise I'll stop."

"Thanks for laughing at my discomfort." He said, shaking his head in dramatic fashion before turning serious again. "Promise me that if anything goes wrong you'll come back home, you'll come to me. I'll help you."

She blinked back her tears, smiling as she nodded her head. "I promise."

"I just want to make sure you're going to be all right."

Blinking back her tears, Mila smiled up at her friend. "Thank you." Her voice cracked. "For everything. I appreciate everything you've ever done for me, for being my best friend. I don't know what I would have done without you these last four years. And I know you loathe the sight of Drew, but I really do appreciate you walking me down the aisle today."

"Anything for you." Baron smiled.

"Well, if it isn't my wife."

They turned to see Drew standing behind them, still swaying. He was smirking at them, amused. Mila let go of Baron's forearms and walked around him to get to Drew.

"Feeling better?"

"Tons. It's funny how the tides have shifted." Drew shrugged. "Quite an eventful wedding, don't you think?"

Baron walked over to the newly married couple, his hands tucked into his pockets. His eyes were narrow slits as he looked at Drew. Ever since he met the smug bastard all he wanted to do was knock his head off. He didn't trust him and he still doesn't.

"If you mean eventful that you married a woman who is too good for you, then yes, it has been eventful."

Drew laughed as he wrapped an arm around Mila's shoulders. "She is too good for me." He agreed. "But, she's with me and not you. Though, from the looks of it, you two were getting cozy in the corner. Yet, I was accused of being flirtatious and my beautiful wife is doing the very thing she accused me of."

Mila shrugged his arm off her shoulders and took a step away from him. He really thought she was angry at him when all she was doing was trying to cover their asses. She knew Drew was an intelligent guy, but with amount of alcohol he consumed, he was on level with a drunken frat boy.

Looking around the room, Mila noticed that guests were getting ready to leave. Some came to say their goodbyes and wish them well while others waved from across the room or just left. Her eyes happened to catch Sheamus staring at them and she knew she had her escape plan.

"Party's winding down." Mila looked up at Drew. "Why don't you grab Sheamus and you two can make sure we left nothing behind in the bridal suite."

He looked down at Mila and then glared at Baron, wishing him out of existence. He mumbled something under his breath as he walked away from them.

Mila locked eyes with Sheamus, silently pleading with him to help her. He had to have known what kind of shape Drew was in when he was intoxicated. Sheamus nodded in her direction, turning away from her just in time to find Drew closing in on him. Even with his back to her and voice subdued, Mila knew Drew was angry.

When they were gone, Mila and Baron were swarmed by their friends. Four sets of concerned eyes were on them, suddenly bringing a feeling of uneasiness to Mila. She hated lying to them, but this was the only way to do it. Them knowing the truth would be worse than her marrying a total stranger.

"Everything is fine." Mila held up her hand before anyone could speak. "Drew and I are fine. There's no need for concern. He just had a little much to drink and just needs to sleep it off."

"The man was flirting with another woman in front of _everyone_." Jimmy pointed out, unable to hide his shock. "Your _husband."_

"I know, Jimmy, I was there." Mila growled, hoping she was coming off as convincing. "Look I tried talking to him before and he isn't comprehending a word I'm saying. Enough damage has been done. I'm not going to stalk around here foaming at the mouth and ripping at my hair. It took all my energy not to rip her hair out by the roots."

"The party is over." Paige said as she took a look around the ballroom. "Just get out of here. We're going to head back to the hotel and we'll see you tomorrow for lunch."

In all the excitement of the last half hour, Mila had forgotten about their lunch date the following day. Mila and Drew had decided to hold off on their honeymoon until after Drew's birthday party. He was going to be planning that with Sheamus and Rusev in the afternoon while Mila was going to spend time with her friends before they headed back west.

"I almost forgot about that." Mila sighed. "I'm going to get Drew and we're leaving. Thank you for everything guys. I love you!"

She hugged her friends and then hurried out. She went straight for the bridal suite, knowing Drew and Sheamus were still in there. The door was opened a crack when she heard Sheamus scolding Drew. Biting down on her lower lip, Mila pressed her ear to the door, curious to hear what was being said.

"You're acting like a fool!" She heard Sheamus exclaim. "You have a great girl and you're over here ruining your marriage the first chance you get! Mila will leave you if you keep this up."

"I wasn't doing anything wrong." Drew groaned. "We were only talking. My God, you sound just as bad as Mila."

"Can you blame her?" Sheamus asked. "The woman uprooted her entire life to be with you and you're going to throw it all back in her face by being you."

"I know what she did. I don't need someone to remind me every chance they get." Drew growled. "Did we forget anything?"

She could hear Sheamus sigh, most likely pinching his forehead between his thumb and index finger, rubbing away the headache he felt coming on. He grumbled his response and started walking to the door, that's when Mila decided to make her entrance. With a smile pasted to her face, she walked in as if she hadn't been standing there, listening in.

"Hi, boys." She cheerfully greeted, when all she wanted to do was go to sleep. "Do we have everything? The limo is waiting for us."

"Yeah, everything's clear." Sheamus said, glancing at Drew. "If there was anything that we missed we'll bring it by tomorrow."

Sheamus couldn't help but be a little suspicious. Mila had been too calm about the entire ordeal. She played everything off as if it meant nothing. Drew shrugging off the idea of Mila leaving as nothing didn't sit well with him. They were being too calm for something that would have rocked any other couple. As much as he was beginning to like Mila and think she was perfect for Drew, he just felt like they were up to something.

Mila kept her composure together, even though all she wanted to do was turn away from Sheamus and his suspicious gaze. All of his other friends may have been easily fooled, but Sheamus not so much. He was closer to Drew, he knew him better. Even if he was warming up to her, he still kept her at arm's length. They were going to have to be extra careful around him,

"Thank you." Mila held her smile, then turned to Drew. "How's he doing?"

"Mila, you can kill the smile." Sheamus sighed. "I saw what happened out there."

Her smile wilted. "Please, Sheamus, don't mention it. I just want to forget about it and move on."

"For your sake, don't forget about it." He warned. "It _will_ happen again if you let it slide."

Drew got up to his feet, agitated. "I'm still here."

"We better get going."

* * *

"Shit."

With her hands on her hips, Mila let out a frustrated sigh. Seeing as it was only the two of them in the house, Drew was the only one to help get her out of her dress. In his inebriated state, it was taking him longer than it should have to undo all the buttons.

"Just rip the fucking thing off."

"No." He growled. "You look too beautiful in this for me to rip off you."

"I'm never going to wear it again."

"For memory sake then."

Mila dropped her head down, swallowing back another sigh of frustration. He was really trying, she could tell. Ever since they had left the banquet hall, his mood had changed. Away from the din of the party and the eyes of the crowd, he calmed down, his words coming out sweeter, his touch softer.

"For fuck's, Mila." Drew groaned. "Don't buy shit with buttons going down the back anymore."

"Just rip it!"

Her nerves were getting the best of her now. She was starting to get hot now, her fingers now fumbling with the skirt of her dress. She could feel Drew's breath beating against her neck. His fingers lost their grip on the button. She heard him inhale a sharp breath as he resumed his task.

"No." He whispered. "We'll get you out of this. If not, you have to sleep in it."

That was enough to make Mila whirl around to face him, her anxiety evident in her facial expression.

"No, one way or another I'm getting out of this dress. I played dress up long enough."

After what felt like hours, Drew had the last button undone and she felt like he could breathe. She held the dress against herself as she walked away from him, muttering her thanks under her breath. From behind, she could hear Drew following her.

Drew took hold of her wrist, turning her around to face him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he closed the space between them, lowering his face to hers. Mila was quick to turn her face, giving him her cheek. The smell of alcohol permeated from him, making her stomach churn. She didn't want to deal with his sexual advances in his current state.

Pushing his arm down, she created distance between them, shaking her head from side to side. Again she brought her hands up to her torso, holding her dress up against her.

"Get some sleep, Drew." Mila finally said. "We're too exhausted."

When he parted his lips to speak, Mila held her hand up. "Keep that thought to yourself. Whatever comes out of your mouth next will repulse me for the next two years."

He clamped his lips together, pursing them into a thin line as he stared at his new wife. They had hardly spent any time together alone today and all he wanted was her. He knew this had to do with Zelina and now she was holding out on him. Nodding his head, he turned away from her without another word.

Mila didn't miss the expression on his face and she couldn't help but smirk. She knew what he was thinking and it unnerved her how she knew what he was thinking after knowing him for such a short time. When he was himself, Mila made the decision to talk to him about his behavior at the reception.

Walking towards the bathroom, Mila decided not to dwell on it any longer. Her brain was too tired to think about the days to come.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the long wait between updates. Hope you enjoyed the update!


	13. The Morning After

The Morning After

The next morning Mila found herself alone in bed. She sat up, holding the blanket to her chest as she looked around the room, searching for any sign of Drew. Now holding the blanket up with one hand while the other ran over his side of the bed; the sheets were cold. He had been gone for a while.

The blanket made a whooshing sound as she threw them off her. She threw her feet over the edge of the bed, relishing the feel of the soft carpet under her feet. She wiggled her toes a bit as she thought about the things she had to do that day. Spend the morning with Drew, get ready for a late lunch with her friends, go shopping for an outfit for his birthday as well as for their honeymoon the following week. Then she had to come back home and get dinner ready for herself and Drew while they planned for his last minute birthday party. A frivolous day, but it had to be done.

"Morning."

Mila looked to her left to see Drew walking back into the room, sweating with a towel draped around his neck and a smile on his face.

"You're rather chipper this morning." She smiled back at him. "The liquor give you a goodnight sleep?"

His smiled turned into a frown. He wiped his face with the towel around his neck before looking at Mila again, now with a confused expression on his face. Drew went to sit next to her, only stopping when he remembered that his basketball shorts were drenched in sweat.

"What happened?"

"Do you remember anything from last night?"

Mila figured that he would have known something was wrong when he woke up in his clothes from yesterday. She tilted her head to the side, unsure if she should mention anything. Last night when she tried to speak to him about what happened, he became upset and went as far as accusing her of doing the same thing with Baron.

"We got married."

"No shit." Mila shook her head. "That's not what I'm talking about."

"Are you going to tell me?"

Drew anxiously shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he tugged on the ends of the towel. She was being quiet which meant she was in thought. When Mila was in thought, he knew he was going to hear what was on her mind.

"Did you at all find it odd that you woke up in your clothes from yesterday?" Mila asked, looking up at him. She folded her hands and laid them in her lap. "That I'm dressed in my pajamas."

"I admit that I drank a lot last night." He said, tugging on the ends of the towel again. "Did something happen when we got home last night?"

"You remember nothing?" Mila asked, her eyebrow raised. "Like at all?"

"The last thing I really vividly remember is us having our dance..." Drew's sentence trailed off for a moment. "...and saying that we loved each other. Then I started drinking."

Mila rubbed her lips together, nodding in understanding. Suddenly, it all clicked. His drinking, the standoffish behavior, the flirting; she threw out those three little words in a false manner and he panicked. If anything, given their circumstances and with all eyes on them, she thought he would have known what she was doing.

"I get it now." She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "I thought you would have figured out what I was doing, but stupid me. I should have known you would have freaked out."

"I didn't freak out."

She patted the empty spot on the bed next to her. "Just sit down. I'll throw your clothes and the damn comforter in the wash later. We won't wait for the maid to come."

He hesitantly sat down next to her, suddenly nervous about what he had done. Given her calm demeanor, he should have known it wasn't _super_ horrible, but that just made him all the more anxious.

"You really know how to make a guy sweat." Drew finally said.

"If I did, you wouldn't need to work out as much."

"I'd rather enjoying working out, especially with you." He teased, gently nudging her with his elbow. "I can always go for another round."

Mila rolled her eyes. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

"You started it."

"We're getting off track here." Mila sighed, fiddling with the hem of her shorts. "Look, it wasn't a big deal to me because I know the truth. My friends and your friends don't know so it was a _huge_ deal to them, but I think I reacted in the appropriate manner. Though, your colleague's date may hate me."

Drew glanced at her, confused.

"You were flirting with her, out in the open, during _our_ reception." Mila patted him on the knee. "Keep your dick in your pants while we're married. You're going to give us away. I had to slip into the jealous wife role. I don't think your friend was fond of it, but she backed off fairly quickly. Then when I pulled you aside just to tell you to cool it, you thought I was attacking you."

He ran a hand over his face, letting out a muffled groan. "Anything else happen?"

"You accused me of getting cozy with Baron and you made a complete ass out of yourself." Mila shrugged. "I really couldn't get through to you."

Just the mention of Baron's name and he could feel his blood pressure spike. Something about Mila's friend irked him to no end. Maybe it was his suspicions about their relationship or maybe it was his personality. He couldn't quite figure out which bothered him more.

"How did you handle the situation?"

"I didn't scream at the top of my lungs, teeth gritted, tugging on my skirt kind of thing if that's what you think happened. I played the jealous passive aggressive wife, all with a smile on my face. She backed off and shortly after that people started leaving."

He couldn't help but cringe. Running his hand over his face again, he kept his gaze straight ahead, suddenly embarrassed by the scene he had caused the night before.

"I'm sorry." Drew finally said after finding the courage to look at her. "When I drink I'm just-"

"Stop it right there." Mila interrupted him. "I know what you're going to say and I don't need to hear the cliché excuses and behavioral patterns, Drew. Just learn how to control yourself. Don't freak out if I tell you I love you in front of people. Those aren't real feelings. I'm pretending to be a loving wife. That doesn't mean you need to hit the sauce."

"My actions were uncalled for. I've told you before and I'm telling you again, I really do like you, Mila. Not everybody would do what you are doing for me." He took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I really appreciate you and I'm sorry I embarrassed you...again. I promise I'll get my shit together."

Mila laughed. "I know. We're going to have rocky start, Drew. I don't expect either one of us to change our habits overnight. We're going to have to be extra careful. Sheamus already told me to not let you off easy."

"Dick."

"He's looking out for you."

"More like he's looking out for you."

"Nah, he's got no reason to. I think our talk on the plane helped smooth things over a bit, but he is still unsure about me."

They fell silent for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. Drew glanced at Mila, remembering that she mentioned being in her pajamas. As she pointed out earlier, he did wake up in his clothes from the day before.

"Who got you out of your wedding dress?"

"You did."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Who else? We're the only ones in the house." Mila untangled her hand from his and got up. She walked over to her closet, pushing the door open. "It took you about forty-five minutes in your condition and a lot of impatient screaming from me, but you did it."

"I should have just ripped it off you."

With a laugh Mila stepped out of the closet, standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips. "I told you the very same thing and you know what you said to me? My heart melted, I'll admit."

Drew shook his head.

"You told me I looked too beautiful for you to rip the dress off and that I should keep it for memories sake."

"That doesn't sound like me."

"Then you tried to make a move on me."

"That sounds like me."

With the shake of her head, Mila disappeared into the closet. From where he was sitting he could hear the faint sounds of her going through her clothes, all the while singing to herself. He couldn't help but smile, he was already enjoying life with her.

* * *

Mila collapsed on the couch after dropping her friends off at the airport. After tearful goodbyes and promises to head out west soon, she sped home. Leaving them had left a feeling of emptiness in her that she hadn't felt when she moved out to Boston. The only thing she wanted to do was be in Drew's arms and hope to find some comfort there.

Drew's car wasn't in the driveway when she pulled up and that feeling of emptiness only grew. She flipped on the TV and laid back on the sofa, hoping to numb herself to her thoughts. She flipped from channel to channel until she finally settled on a serial killer documentary. Tossing the remote to the side, she glued her eyes to the screen, staring through the program.

A smile spread across his face when he saw Mila's car in the driveway. He couldn't wait to get home, away from Sheamus and Rusev to be with her. They had finished planning his birthday party and much to his chagrin the Zelina situation came up. He had spent the morning feeling awful, mostly because he knew he had embarrassed Mila in front of strangers.

"Mila, I'm home!"

Just as he had his shoes off, Mila appeared in the foyer, a sad smile on her face. He was about to ask what was on her mind when she ran into his arms, burying her face in his chest. Drew wrapped one arm around her waist, while his free hand stroked her hair, reassuring her it was going to be fine.

"How do you know it's going to be fine? You don't know what's wrong." Mila pulled her head off his chest and looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears.

"You come to me with a sad smile and tears in your eyes and I know something is wrong." He wiped away a stray tear with the pad of his thumb. "I'm going to do as much as I can to protect you and help you while we're together."

"I'm sorry." Mila pulled herself out his hold. "I'm just really off today."

Being out of his arms left her feeling cold all of a sudden. She wrapped her arms around herself as she started away from him, allowing her last words to hang in the air between them. Between the wedding and her friends leaving, her nerves were getting the best of her.

"Whoa, you just can't leave me hanging like that." Drew followed her up the steps. "You can't just run to me looking for comfort and then walk off. Look, whatever hurts you, hurts me and vice versa. You're the one that's always saying this won't work if we don't work together."

Mila abruptly stopped, turning to look down on Drew who was three steps behind her. She gripped the railing with one hand while she ran the other through her hair and blowing out a breath from between her lips.

"Just hearing the words in my own head is ridiculous, I can't imagine what they'd sound like out loud."

Without waiting for his response, Mila hurried up the rest of the stairs with Drew following close behind her. He followed her, catching her at the landing. He held her at the elbows, pulling her close to him.

"Tell me what's wrong." He lowered his face to hers. "Maybe I can help."

Her eyes locked with his and she saw the sincerity in them. Her eyes drifted shut for a moment, thinking back to how much she couldn't wait to be home with him, in his arms. She opened her eyes again and met his stare, her lips still trembling.

"I just feel so alone." Mila managed to whisper. "I know it sounds stupid because I'm here with you. Seeing my friends every day for a week for the first time in a month made me happy. I hadn't realized how homesick I was going to be when they left today. We had lunch and I took them to the airport and suddenly I felt empty."

"Don't feel stupid." Drew whispered, holding her tighter. "You've gone through more than I have in the last month. You uprooted your entire life to be here-to help me. What you are feeling is normal, but please, don't feel alone. I'm always going to be here for you. I owe you so much."

"Can you just hold me?"

Mila broke their embrace and laced her hand with his. He allowed her to lead them to their bedroom. She crawled into bed and he followed suit. He wrapped an arm around her when she curled into his side. She laid her head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart. With Drew gently smoothing his hand over his hair and listening to the rhythm of his heart, Mila was asleep in no time.

"I'm sorry about Zelina." Drew whispered when he was sure she was asleep. "I can be quite the idiot sometimes, as you well know. I don't know what came over me. Habit, I suppose. Maybe it was what you said. I was afraid when you said you loved me. Even though I know what you said was for the moment, so everyone can look on in awe, I still got freaked out. Nobody has ever uttered those words to me. Genuine or otherwise. All I can say is I'm sorry...again. But I did mean what I said-I promise to protect you as much as I can."

He held her a little tighter and closed his eyes. Soon he was asleep too.

The sound of chimes is what woke him up. Drew stared up at the ceiling for a moment, trying to remember where he was. He glanced to his right and found Mila asleep next to him. It all came rushing back; her need for comfort, his promise he whispered to himself after she had fallen asleep. He was about to wrap an arm around her and pull her back to him when he heard those chimes again. Groaning, he got out of bed, finally realizing someone was at the front door.

When he reached the door and saw the flaming red hair through the glass pane, he sighed. He pulled the door open to reveal an impatient Sheamus.

"Took you long enough, mate." He muttered walking inside. "You two need to get out of the honeymoon stage and fast."

Drew swung the door shut with a shake of his head. He had forgotten he had invited Sheamus over. He needed some time away from home and the kids to keep himself sane, so Drew had invited him over.

"Our wedding was yesterday."

"You've been cutesy and nauseating since I met the two of you in Miami." Sheamus countered. "Speaking of, where is she?"

"We'll talk in the den." Drew said as he started for the den. "She's asleep. She was having a hard time earlier and exhaustion knocked her out."

"I can't imagine the realization of being stuck with you was an easy thought to process."

"You're funny." Drew said as he walked into the den and sat down. "Maybe when I fire you, you can finally become a comedian."

Sheamus walked to the bar and picked up the bottle of whiskey. "You'd never fire me."

Drew shook his head. "That's what you think."

He tossed some ice in a glass and poured the whiskey, a smirk on his face. "That's your best come back?"

Drew walked over to the bar and sat down on the barstool, leaning forward to swipe Sheamus's drink. He took a long gulp of his drink before setting the glass down on the marble countertop. He nervously moved the glass from side to side, his mind wandering back to Mila.

Sheamus's hand shot out, taking the glass away from Drew. The sound of the glass scraping back and forth on the counter was driving him nuts. He put the glass aside, picked up his own drink and then walked around the bar and going over to the couch.

"I'm worried about Mila." Drew said as he reached over the counter to grab his drink. "She was really upset when I got home today."

"I wonder why." Sheamus smirked.

"It wasn't about that."

Drew didn't miss the shocked expression on Sheamus's face. Any sane person would be upset if their spouse was flirting with another person at their wedding. If anything that should have been at the forefront of his thoughts. Mila was right, they really did have to be careful.

"Well, yes, she was upset about that too." Drew stammered. "We talked about it this morning and we've worked through it, at least I hope we did. I don't want her dwelling on it and making herself even more upset."

Sheamus remained silent and expressionless; he didn't believe him for one second. Drew finished off the rest of his whiskey and got up and went to the bar. He filled his glass with more ice and took the bottle of Jack with him, the silence still dragging between them.

He filled his glass and then set the bottle on the table between them. Falling back onto the couch, he sat back and took a swig of his drink, shuddering a bit as the liquor worked its way down his throat.

"I think it finally hit her today that she was all alone here. Having her friends here and then taking them to the airport really set in stone that she has nobody but me here. Mila uprooted her entire life to be here with me, I don't think either one of us thought hard about what she was doing."

"You two are a couple of geniuses."

"Spare me the sarcasm."

"Well, what did you think would happen?" Sheamus asked, stretching his arm out to grab the bottle of Jack. "Of course, Mila is going to be feel alone. Even if you're her husband, you're still a stranger, she's by herself. She's surrounded by your friends and family. Everything that is here isn't for her. Well, for now at least."

Drew put his drink on the table. "Do you think I hadn't thought of that? It didn't occur to me how hard the transition could be for her, especially now. Hopefully, in time she won't feel alone."

"And she'll start working and find friends of her own. It isn't fair for her to only have your friends." Sheamus interrupted him. "Mila is a person, not a dog. She isn't going to be at your beck and call."

"Nor do I expect her to be."

"Her friends being here was the most familiar thing for her since moving out here." Sheamus pointed out. "It'll take her some time to adjust. She most likely plans on working, I imagine."

They hadn't discussed it, so Drew never thought about it. Even in the short time he had known Mila, she didn't seem like the type to sit around and wait for people.

"She does. I don't think it isn't so much her not working that is bothering her, it's adjusting to not having familiar people around. She just feels alone is all. There's got to be something I can do for her before she starts getting her life in order here."

"For starters don't be a cheating douche."

"I'm never going to live that incident down, am I?"

"Because it was on your wedding day? Absolutely not."

"Why do I bother talking to you?"

"Because someone needs to keep your head out of your arse." Sheamus shrugged.

"I was, from what I was told, flirting. Flirting is not cheating." Drew reached for his phone in his back pocket. "I would never hurt her."

"Still not going to live it down. Mila's day was tainted because of you."

"It was my day too."

"Nobody cares about the groom."

"Where should I order pizza from?" He changed the subject.

The Irishman shrugged. Pizza was the last thing on his mind. Drew was sure quick to shrug the entire ordeal off. From the way he spoke of the situation, it didn't sound like he was too concerned about Mila's move here or the fact that he was hitting on another woman at their wedding. Something wasn't adding up.

"Doesn't matter." Sheamus got up. "I'll get the beer."

* * *

Mila found Drew and Sheamus hanging out in the den. Pizza and beer was sitting on the table between them. They spoke between bites, their conversation punctuated with light laughter. She leaned against the doorway for a moment, focusing on Drew. In the short time she had known him, she hadn't seen him so relaxed and at ease. They've had more tense moments than tender ones, so seeing him in such a lighthearted mood made her feel better.

"Look who has decided to join us again."

Smiling at Sheamus, she joined the two men, choosing to sit on the couch next to Drew.

"Morning, baby." He teased, pecking her on the lips.

"Morning? What time is it anyway?"

Sheamus checked his watch. "Almost eleven."

"Why didn't you guys wake me? I could have made something instead of you having to order out."

"It's been a long few weeks for you, babe. I know you haven't gotten much sleep." Drew shrugged. "You deserve all the rest in the world."

Mila shook her head, briefly smiling again. She grabbed a paper plate off the table and reached into the pizza box for a slice. She took a bite, taking a moment to chew and swallow while ignoring Sheamus feigning sickness.

"I didn't expect to see you here tonight, Sheamus."

Tossing his plate on the table, Sheamus picked up his beer before making himself comfortable in his seat. Resting his beer bottle on his thigh, he let out a small laugh.

"Needed a night out of the house." He shrugged. "The kids were going nuts and the wife was having her friends over."

"Can't handle the kids and some friends so you ditched her?"

"I think she prefers I'm not home when her friends are there." Sheamus joked.

Drew wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling Mila closer to him. "Even saints like his wife deserve a night away from him."

"I'm really hurt that you two would gang up on me like this." He retorted, holding a hand up to his heart. "Especially you, Mila. I thought you were better than that."

Mila laughed. "You're giving me too much credit for having just met me."

"As the days goes on, I'm beginning to believe you two belong together." He shook his head. "God help us all."

Drew smirked. "It warms my heart that my best friend and wife can banter so well together."

"Mila is a triple threat; she can handle you, she works, and from what I hear she knows her way around the kitchen."

Rubbing her forehead, Mila released a sigh, trying to hold her tongue. She had to remind herself-based off what she heard-that Drew seemingly dated women who may not have known their way around a kitchen or been able to deal with him. If they did, Drew didn't stick around long enough to find out.

"Contrary to what you may believe, I am multifaceted. I'm not just another pretty girl on your friend's arm."

Drew squirmed next to Mila, bracing himself. Despite himself, Sheamus really knew how to put his foot in his mouth. Mila really knew how to use her words wisely. Even if they were on shaky ground, Drew knew there were going to be moments where they would butt heads.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." Sheamus muttered, embarrassed. "Um, Drew's history with..."

He unwrapped his arm from around Mila's shoulders and rose to his feet, quickly interrupting Sheamus. "Hey, it's getting late! You should probably head home. You have a long day at the office, especially since I won't be in tomorrow."

Drew quickly ushered Sheamus out of the den, leaving Mila alone for a moment.

"You need to learn how to keep your mouth shut." Drew muttered, running a hand through his hair. "She won't say it out loud, but I think she's a little sensitive about..."

"About you whoring around." Sheamus interrupted with a shrug. "That's understandable. I wish I didn't have to say that, but I was at your wedding and saw what happened. I really didn't mean to offend her. I'm not used to you being with someone who is so put together."

"I know that, but I don't think she understands that." Drew sighed. "We're still learning about each other, so it's going to take her a while to open up about who I used to be."

"That's why you guys shouldn't have gotten engaged and married in such a short span of time."

Sheamus couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was that made him suspicious about their relationship and marriage. Drew only _contemplating_ marriage was out of character, never mind actually getting married.

"It's done and over with." Drew opened the door for him.

"Yeah, it is." Sheamus agreed. He pulled his car keys out of his pocket. "I'll see you in a couple of days. Don't wear each other out."

"Fuck off."

"See you in a few days."

When Sheamus reached his car, Drew shut the front door and went to go find Mila. He found her in the den, curled up on the couch, looking through her phone. He kneeled down in front of the couch, laying a hand on her thigh.

"I'm sorry about what he said."

"Don't be." Mila shrugged as she locked her phone and tossed it on the couch beside her. "I enjoyed making him squirm."

"You slept a great deal longer than you planned, what are you going to do for the rest of the night?"

Mila glanced down at his hand, suddenly aware of it being on her thigh. Licking her lips, she locked her gaze with his, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Leaning her face in towards his, Mila began to inch her lips towards his.

"I think I have an idea."

Drew leaned in further as he gently cupped her face, their lips almost touching. "Mmm, what's that?"

Her forehead was now pressed to his, her nose bumping against his. She pecked his lips once, then twice. Her lips ventured away from his, gently gliding along his jaw. With each feathered kiss, his breathing grew labored. He gripped her thigh, hissing when her teeth nipped on his earlobe.

Mila's next words came out low, barely even a whisper. "You clean up this mess. I'm going to shower."

With a smile on her face, Mila peeled Drew's hand off her thigh and slid off the couch, squeezing through the small space between Drew and the couch. She scampered out of the room, leaving him there, dumbstruck.

He looked in the doorway, almost expecting to find Mila standing there, beckoning him to her. He glanced back at the pizza box, beer bottles, and paper plates scattered across the table; the mess could wait until the morning. Within the blink of an eye, Drew was back on his feet and striding out of the den.

Drew found her in the master bathroom. His clothes fell in a trail behind him as he walked through the steam filled bathroom. As he drew closer to the shower, he could make out her silhouette through the glass doors. He pulled the door open and slid inside shower.

The sight of her before him left him craving more of her. Droplets of water cascaded down her body, making her appear all the more sensual. Drew licked his lips as if he could still taste her on him. Watching her like this, wet and naked, fingers raking through her wet locks, his craving for her intensified. He came up behind her, gently wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You're a tease, you know that?" Drew whispered in her ear.

Mila dropped her head against his chest, her eyes drifting shut as she let out a contented sigh. Between the hot water pouring over them and Drew's arms wrapped around her, she felt a sense of comfort she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Am I?"

"Uh-huh." He answered as his hand drifted between her legs, nudging them apart.

Mila gasped when his finger slid inside of her. Her head fell back against his chest while her hands fumbled to hold onto something to keep her from sliding out of his grasp and onto the shower floor. From parted lips her moans came while Drew moved his thick fingers in and out of her.

"God, yes." Mila breathed out.

Her left hand found his wrist and she squeezed on it as tight as she could, while the palm of her right hand lay against the shower wall. With each movement of his fingers, her moans grew louder, pleading for more. Drew's deep voice rumbled in her ears.

Drew withdrew his fingers from her and turned Mila around to face him. He held her to him with one arm firmly wrapped around her waist and the other stretched out and laying flat against the wet shower wall behind her. His lips crushed down to hers, hungrily kissing her, his tongue tangling with hers. His hissed into the kiss when he felt her nails scrape down his chest.

Her hands drifted further down his chest and right between them. She found his cock, gently circling her hand around it and running it up and down repeatedly. When Drew hissed again she smiled against their kiss before pulling her head back to look at him.

Finding her wrist, Drew gripped it and pulled her hand off his cock. The water fell down around them as they stared at each other trying to catch their breath. With ease, Drew lifted Mila off her feet and pushed her against the wall. A moan of pleasure turned into a gasp when she felt Drew's cock inside of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and steadied her hands on his shoulders. Drew gripped her under her ass, holding on tightly as he pumped in and out of her, his lips eagerly attaching to the side of her neck.

Mila's head tilted to the side, exposing more of her neck to Drew. She relished in the feel of the water pouring over them, his lips all over and his cock inside of her. Each moan grew louder, each plea breathier than the last. Her skin was on fire, her heart was pounding with each thrust.

"God, yes, Drew!" Mila moaned. "Please, hard-harder."

His lips glided across her collar bone to the other side of her neck, biting into her flesh when her nails dug into his shoulders. Each stroke grew more powerful than the last. Mila's hips were synching up with his, the heels of her feet digging into his ass.

"Look at me!" He growled. "Ahhh fuck. Keep your-oh fuck, Mila- your eyes on mine."

"Just-ohh ohhhh ohhh- keep going." Mila got out between moans.

Her walls were clenching around him and her movements were starting to slow down. Her teeth sank into her lower lip and her back arched off the wall as she came down around him. Her orgasm flowed through her body as she shivered against him. She pushed her upper body into Drew's, burying her face in the crook of his neck as he came undone inside her, his entire body shaking against hers, a loud growl ripping into her ear.

"I think by the time two years are up, we're going to have a hard time parting based off our sex life alone."

"Don't put me down yet." Mila whispered in his ear. "I don't think I can stand on my own right now."

"I need more of you."

They stared at each other in silence in an effort to catch their breath. When Mila unwrapped her legs from his waist, Drew gently planted her on her feet. She stood on her tiptoes to plant another kiss on his lips.

"You'll be sick of me in no time."

Turning away from him, Mila reached forward for her loofa. Drew came up behind her again, holding her by the shoulders, his lips near her ear, muttering words she wanted to block out and forget, but knew she wouldn't be able to. Nothing had ever rang truer; ' _you're just as bad as I am'._

Tilting her head back, she looked up at him. Her lips were turned into a worried frown. "Don't-"

"Fall in love with you." Drew finished for her.

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this! I've had such a hard time getting anything written for the longest time. Hopefully, I'm out of my slump now and I can get back to writing regularly.


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